Fav hen is lethargic today - eats&drinks but passed this poop (photo)

[cocoloco]

My favorite hen Gigi (production red) did not come out of the coop this morning. When I went in she was in her box, eating a broken egg underneath her. I took the egg and straw out, went back in to inspect her. She had a huge crusty ball near her vent - made of poop, egg whatever. I brought her, put her in 4" of warm water, cleaned her vent area, dried her and put her on a soft flannel cushion. Her crop was full and squishy - unusual for the morning. I did not want to feed her, in case her crop was impacted, but wanted to see if she would eat and drink at all - so I offered her watery oatmeal - she ate it up and wanted more - she has also been drinking water with ACV no problem. She has been laying down, quiet, eyes closed, tail down. No discharge from eyes, nose - no sneezing. This poop just came out of her (see photo) Here's my dilemma: I have 2 vets I can see today. One will cost $170 just to walk in - but they have an Avian specialist and I can bring her in now. The other, (24 hr animal clinic) cost $90 - they have an exotic bird person coming in 9pm tonight. I also have bird emergency kit with Cocid, Safeguard, Wazine - different things for gastro problems. We just had 5 days of rain - we were pumping water out of our flooded basement - i caught this hen drinking that water 3 days ago - I shooed her away, but am now wondering if that made her sick. Based on what I have said - and the photo -

can anyone tell me what might be wrong?

 

[azygous]

When you have a coincidence like this, it would be well to investigate. You know your basement. What was littering or spilled on the floor prior to the flooding? Any pesticides or petroleum distillates? How about mold? How about spilled pet food that may have gotten wet and moldy? Was the floor dirt or cement?

However, the full, squishy crop is an obvious and glaring clue to her not feeling well. I would monitor her crop closely today and tomorrow morning to see if this is her problem, and treat it accordingly. Here's is an article on diagnosing and treating crop disorders to guide you. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[cocoloco]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. After resting all morning - she just got up and is walking around. I will monitor her all day and bring her in tonight to vet ER if she should get worse.

 

[rebrascora]

$170 purely for a consultation is daylight robbery in my opinion and should be boycotted.
Can you give her a good examination for any swelling or bloat, particularly between her legs and below her vent. The fact that she was tucking into an egg in the nest box and ate the oatmeal is an indication that she may not have an infection. Usually they go off their food with a digestive infection. Was the egg she was eating a soft shelled or shell less egg? Those can be pretty difficult for hens to lay and really take it out of them. It could be that a soft shelled egg has been stuck and backed her up, causing the squishy crop and the unusual poop. My hens never break eggs to eat them but if there is a weak shelled egg that accidentally gets broken or a shell less egg then those are fair game, so that's why I'm wondering if the egg she was eating had poor shell quality and if perhaps she had just laid it when you found her eating it.

 

[cocoloco]

Hello - I apologize for the late response. After calling every other Avian vet and being unable to get an appt - I caved in and brought her to the expensive one! I wish I stayed home long enough to read your post! I think you got it right. Here is what happened: I put her in her pet carrier and brought her - The dr said she did indeed have a full crop - not impacted or hard, just full. She said her belly was distended and a bit swollen. I told her about drinking the cellar water, dr said the green poop is a symptom of lead poisoning and said for $40 they could test her for lead BEFORE doing the $120 complete blood test. I said Ok. Then dr came back and said - the lead test was expired - they could not do it. I said Ok do the regular blood test. They took her away to draw blood - meanwhile the dr came back in and showed me a membrane from a soft egg that they found inside the pet carrier! As soon as that came out she was running around jumping on my lap, wanting to go home. I thought the blood tests would come back tomorrow - AFTER they took the blood, I was told they shipped them to Florida and wouldn't get the results until Monday! They gave me a prescription for a broad spectrum antibiotic, liquid calcium, and an anti inflammatory/Pain liquid. I am too embarrassed to tell you what the bill came to. Her poop is still not normal but it is looking better. Re the egg she was eating this morning - I did not know if it came out of her or from another hen earlier - but, when she eats eggs, she scoffs the shells as well - so i was not sure. Finding the membrane in the carrier later answered that question.

 

[rebrascora]

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry I didn't see your thread and type my reply sooner. I am cringing at the thought of what you must have paid! I hope I was right and it was purely a soft shelled egg. That said, even if it was the only issue she was having, it might be a good idea to assess her diet, especially if she has a bit of padding or bloat on her abdomen. Too much carbohydrate in the diet can cause these issues, so look at the protein content of what you are feeding and make sure you are not diluting that by adding treats like scratch or corn or bread or rice etc. Also, quite a few people have had problems with the grain type feeds like Scratch and Peck as oppose to pelleted feed or crumbles, the problem being that hens pick out their favourite components of a mixed grain feed and leave the less attractive pulses and lentils which are higher in protein and balance the carbohydrates in the grains. The fines often get wasted in the bottom of the feeder or billed out onto the ground. These contain the important minerals and vitamins and amino acids which are essential for them to remain healthy and lay eggs with good quality shells. If you use such a feed then I would recommend you change to a pelleted feed and if you feed scratch or corn, I would cut it out or at least significantly reduce the amount.
I would also be inclined to supplement her with a direct dose of calcium until you see hard shells on her eggs.
Good luck with her and please keep us posted on her progress.