HELP!!! My hens really bad off!!!

[fluffycrow]

She won’t eat off

She won't take it off your hand. You'll need to open her beak yourself and put it in the back of her throat. The others are much, much more experienced than me in this so I won't intervene further, but I just want to make it clear that she will not take it off your hand. It's hard, I know

 

[Farmgirl283420]

She won't take it off your hand. You'll need to open her beak yourself and put it in the back of her throat. The others are much, much more experienced than me in this so I won't intervene further, but I just want to make it clear that she will not take it off your hand. It's hard, I know

Are you talking about the food or the pill? Just to clarify.

 

[fluffycrow]

Are you talking about the food or the pill? Just to clarify.

Pill. Tube feeding is not something I've attempted

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Pill. Tube feeding is not something I've attempted

Got her to eat a small chunk thanks

 

[Farmgirl283420]

The squishy stuff is right below her vent could I stick a syringe in and try to pull stuff out to see what it is or is this a bad idea?

 

[Eggcessive]

I do not usually drain a hen with water belly unless they are gasping and having labored breathing. An 18 gauge needle can be inserted into the lower belly to withdraw the yellow fluid. It still won’t cure her if she has water belly or ascites, but is a temporary fix. All of the reasons that cause ascites are fatal in time.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I do not usually drain a hen with water belly unless they are gasping and having labored breathing. An 18 gauge needle can be inserted into the lower belly to withdraw the yellow fluid. It still won’t cure her if she has water belly or ascites, but is a temporary fix. All of the reasons that cause ascites are fatal in time.

She’s not having that like I said it’s under her vent not really under or in front of her legs or not that I can tell. No red belly either. She won’t eat or drink on her own and will open her eyes and struggle to her feet won’t walk. Actually I saw her move a step. She mostly sleeps. Got some water in her and as before yogurt.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I do not usually drain a hen with water belly unless they are gasping and having labored breathing. An 18 gauge needle can be inserted into the lower belly to withdraw the yellow fluid. It still won’t cure her if she has water belly or ascites, but is a temporary fix. All of the reasons that cause ascites are fatal in time.

Also is this common and has this happens a lot to you? It’s just so hard my one friend doesn’t care much about her chickens feeds them bad stuff her coop is really tiny and they aren’t sick! Maybe not the healthiest but still! And I try to only give the best to my chickens and now this! I feel terrible I love her so much.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, it is common in hens. Reproductive issues, such as internal laying and egg yolk peritonitis, cancer, and fatty liver disease are the common causes.

 

[azygous]

If there is no swelling on the abdomen in front of and between the legs, your hen does not have ascites and liver failure. But it does sound like a reproductive issue may be possible. However, reproductive issues cover a very large variety of disorders and it's extremely difficult to diagnose them without a vet's diagnostic tools. And it's especially hard given the fact we can't be there to observe the hen. So, what we try to do is to rule out things by trying the things we are able to do, starting with the simplest first.

We are right now trying to rule out egg binding. To do that you must give her the whole calcium pill, all 600mg. You do this by prying open the beak and sticking the pill into her mouth. She is not a human infant. She will not choke. Chickens are designed to swallow things whole, including mice and lizards and frogs. They don't have teeth, in case you haven't noticed. They don't need teeth because they are able to easily swallow food without chewing. Get over the worry that your hen is going to choke.

The calcium pill will stimulate contractions and if there is an egg in the oviduct, the calcium will help her expel it. The calcium is the most important thing you can do right now.

Next, she needs calm and quiet. Place her in her crate in a dim, quiet place with water to drink and leave her alone. Check on her in the morning and report back here on this thread. Please don't start new threads or we will lose the ability to be notified when you post new information.

Try not to jump around worrying about all the things that can be wrong. You must believe you are doing everything you can for your hen right now.