Help! What’s wrong with my chicken?

[SnowHugs]

At first I thought my hen was egg bound, but now I don’t think so. She’s acting like she is, but she has runny green poop, and her rear is squishy, not hard. She has also been alive for over three days now. We had a hen that did this before, and we kept her alive for two weeks till we had to let her go. Why does this keep happening? I gave her an epsom salt bath and some Tums yesterday. Any ideas of what is going on? Is there anything else I can give her to save her? She is only about a year old, so it doesn’t seem like she should be having these problems. Will it spread to my other girls? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Eggcessive]

@SnowHugs Has your hen been laying eggs regularly lately, and have you noticed any soft or thin shelled eggs in the nests or coop? Can you get a picture of her and possibly one of her vent area? Is her lower belly under the vent enlarged or swollen? Green poop indicates that she is not eating enough. Is there a white cap on the poops? Again pictures may help. Can you get her drinking some water with electrolytes or a little sugar? Offer some mushy wet chicken feed in a small bowl along with a little scrambled egg to see if she will take those. What does her crop feel like? Has she lost weight?

 

[Elspeth Dinsmore]

At first I thought my hen was egg bound, but now I don’t think so. She’s acting like she is, but she has runny green poop, and her rear is squishy, not hard. She has also been alive for over three days now. We had a hen that did this before, and we kept her alive for two weeks till we had to let her go. Why does this keep happening? I gave her an epsom salt bath and some Tums yesterday. Any ideas of what is going on? Is there anything else I can give her to save her? She is only about a year old, so it doesn’t seem like she should be having these problems. Will it spread to my other girls? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I am so sorry to hear your hen is doing poorly! I will be praying for you and your hen.

 

[Eggcessive]

The gel pill is fine to give whole or you can cut it open and give with food or egg.

 

[Tiffany Wikk]

Hello, @SnowHugs!
I don't really know what the solution to your problem is. I'm fairly new to chicken keeping but I thought I would see if I could help and encourage you. One of my hens got egg bound last week and passed away but I learned so much from the people on here for the next time!

To the best of my knowledge an egg bound hen isn't easily capable of pooing.
"When a chicken is egg-bound, they have an egg stuck in their body.
This blocks up much of their digestive system.
While it’s possible for a chicken to poop when eggbound, this isn’t likely.
Typically, if there is poop, it’ll be really loose as droppings with any substance to them will be blocked."

If she is egg bound, I was told that calcium citrate was best to give immediately (600mg per day). Whereas Tums has calcium carbonate that isn't as easy to digest quickly. Here's an article by someone who was helping me with my hen on egg bound hens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-from-vent-prolapse-oh-my-what-to-do.76124/

I really hope that your hen will be alright. Perhaps a photo of the poo will help? Is she acting sad, distant and is her tail drooping?

Here's the thread for my hen. I learned lots from these people.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/please-help-eggbound-possible-prolapsed-vent.1618432/

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any calcium? I would give her 600 mg of human calcium citrate with vitamin D3 orally. If you only have Tums or other calcium give that, but the calcium citrate is fastest absorbed. Find it at Walmart or other pharmacies and generic or Equate brand is find. If she can’t poop, I would be concerned that she is egg bound.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would offer some foods that most chickens cannot resist, but just a little to temp her to get started eating. Those include tuna, scrambled egg, ground meat or canned cat food. Mushy wet chicken feed is also good, and chicken feed should be most of her diet. Check her crop early each morning to make sure that it is emptying overnight. If they have a reproductive disorder or other illness, many times the crop and digestive system slows way down, which can lead to impacted or sour crop.

 

[SnowHugs]

So I had that she wasn’t pooping at all today since I didn’t see any green, but then I saw her poop a normal dropping! Her swelling seems to have gone down some, but she still has a little yellow poking out of her vent. But she is perching with everyone else now and wanting out of the coop. She also ate some bread and her comb looks almost normal

 

[klb25]

So I had that she wasn’t pooping at all today since I didn’t see any green, but then I saw her poop a normal dropping! Her swelling seems to have gone down some, but she still has a little yellow poking out of her vent. But she is perching with everyone else now and wanting out of the coop. She also ate some bread and her comb looks almost normal

I just read this entire thread and am so glad she seems to be improving!

I have a hen with the same issue, whatever it is. I was sure she would pass yesterday but just found she's still hanging on. She isn't eating or drinking, but does seem a touch more alert. Late yesterday she did get an egg out, though it has a small soft area. I'm kind of at a loss, but am really glad to have found this thread and the advice!

 

[klb25]

Thank you! I have learned a lot as well, and I wish I had known this when my past chicken was sick like this. I hope yours gets better! I wonder what this is that’s going around? Is it like a virus or something in the food? Whatever it is, I hope we can get rid of it for good!

How is your girl doing? Unfortunately mine had a viking funeral about an hour ago.