16-mo old BO hen internal layer? update: Paris necropsy pics (graphic)

One of my 16-mo old BO hens, Paris, has been sleeping on the floor of the coop for the last couple days. She stayed on the roost when I put her there, but today when I got home from work, she was huddled in the corner of the coop. She normally is a fiesty girl, but today, let me pick her up and look her over without a peep. She is barely walking, with her wings drooping when she walks. She has been molting for about a week and a half or so. Her crop was empty when I checked her over, and she wouldn't eat her crumbles when I brought some over to her. Her eyes are clear, no nasal discharge. Her abdomen seemed a little bloated to me. I need to get her into better light to check her vent.

I am going to bring her inside and take a closer look at her. Also, I can try to feed her some yogurt or scrambled egg. I don't have any poly-vi-sol, but I am going to get some.

Does anyone have any ideas about this? Does it sound like Marek's? The other girls are behaving completely normal.

I don't think I have the heart to cull her. I am a wimp.

Please give any advice besides culling her.

Thanks.

Oh no Orp! Little Paris! Is she possibly eggbound? can you feel an egg in her abdomen?

I just finished cleaning the cage so I can bring her inside. I will get a better look at her in the bathroom.

Someone laid a shell-less egg while I was away. And someone else started a nest in the bottom of the coop. They haven't done that in a year. It might have been her. I know they don't lay much when they molt, but one of them has been doing it. I have two molting, and two that still don't seem to be. She has been acting a bit aloof for over a month, though, so maybe there is something else going on, like a tumor. This is the first time I found her this apathetic, and an empty crop. Last night at least she pecked me when I picked her up to put her on the roost. Today, nada. She barely walks, with wings drooping, then goes back to huddling. Her feet are under her when she does, not laying out to the side or back. She isn't paralyzed, but clearly something is wrong.

Sorrp Orp. the phone went out again. Sigh...
I pmed you the link to what info came up first.

Good luck to you and Paris,

Thanks, Ranchie. I was looking at the link, but not really resolving anything. I need to get Paris inside before I do any more research. Plus, just getting some food and vitamins into her would be a good start.

I'll keep you posted.

I'm having sporadic internet service too.


Hopefully some yogurt and scrammies will perk her up and then you can get a better look/feel of the vent. Could it be just a really debilitating molt?

Okay, now she's in the bathroom in the cage. When I first put her in the cage, she wouldn't lay down, just stood there for about 10 minutes.

Her first poop was pale yellow and runny, the second one slightly more normal with the poop green and white, but still a little runny. Her pupils are round and reactive to light. Her vent looked normal, but her abdomen is definitely puffy. She is molting pretty heavily. I didn't see any lice or mites.

I scrambled her an egg. She ate a couple bites with more enthusiasm than I thought she had in her, then quit eating and laid down. She doesn't want water, though. I am going to the store to get a dropper and poly-vi-sol. Is the correct dosage 3 drops a day for the vitamins? Or should I just add them to the water?

If she's not drinking, the dropper will be better. Tilt her chin up a bit and apply the droplet to the upper side of her beak. Hopefully it will drizzle in and she'll swallow.

You might want to try giving a few drops of Nurtri-Drench and then add some to her water. A round of antibiotics couldn't hurt either.

I just got back from the store for poly-vi-sol and yogurt.

Opa, thanks for dropping in. I don't have either Nutri-drench or antibiotics. This is a lesson in having things on hand. I did get the Poly-vi-sol at my local drug store. They don't seem to carry much, not even a plain old dropper. I have a syringe from when I had to medicate the cat. I guess I can use that. Should I try to give the vitamins straight? Or should I mix it in the water. Ranchie, that's what I'm trying to decide.

She still isn't drinking. She hasn't really done much. She isn't sleeping. She hasn't pooped again. She can get up without my help, but is really lethargic. Keep in mind, this is my guard chicken. She is never this docile.

I think I'm going to try a drop of vitamins, then a drop of water on the top of the beak, like Ranchie said. Opa, I'm guessing that's the closest I'm gonna come tonight to Nutri-drench. Are those basically vitamins? Or is it like Pedialyte?