1 year old Maran with constipation and making deep noise on inhalation

[knchristy]

I went to check my coop tonight and noticed my one year old Maran seemed to be straining as she was roosting. She also was making a deep, raspy noise when she inhaled. Her bottom area seemed crusty so I brought her in and gave her a warm bath. Some soft poop started to come out so I put my gloved pinky, gently into the area and helped a large amount come out. I felt for a bound egg but everything was soft. She only lays a large egg every few days. She is now inside in a small cage. She is still making that sound every few minutes. Not sure what to do? The rest of the hens all are fine.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Does her abdomen feel swollen?

She may have some type of internal laying/reproductive disorder like Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Ascites, cancer or tumors. Some symptoms include going off feed, loss of weight, lameness and difficulty breathing. Sometimes fluids can build in the abdomen which can press on the air sacs/lungs and cause trouble. If you have a vet, that would be best.

Also check her crop to make sure it's emptying overnight. Do your best to keep her hydrated. Soaking her in a warm epsom salts bath can sometimes help give relief and get things moving if she is constipated.

Keep us posted.

 

[knchristy]

Does her abdomen feel swollen?

She may have some type of internal laying/reproductive disorder like Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Ascites, cancer or tumors. Some symptoms include going off feed, loss of weight, lameness and difficulty breathing. Sometimes fluids can build in the abdomen which can press on the air sacs/lungs and cause trouble. If you have a vet, that would be best.

Also check her crop to make sure it's emptying overnight. Do your best to keep her hydrated. Soaking her in a warm epsom salts bath can sometimes help give relief and get things moving if she is constipated.

Keep us posted.

 

[knchristy]

Her abdomen feels soft. No masses. I just checked on her and she pooped out a lot more. She is no longer making that noise. I will keep her in for observation. She seems to always have poop stuck to her bottom tail feathers. I wonder if it became too crusted and ultimately impacted her? She only lays every few days. Could this be the reason why? I hope this doesn't keep occurring for her.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Her abdomen feels soft. No masses. I just checked on her and she pooped out a lot more. She is no longer making that noise. I will keep her in for observation. She seems to always have poop stuck to her bottom tail feathers. I wonder if it became too crusted and ultimately impacted her? She only lays every few days. Could this be the reason why? I hope this doesn't keep occurring for her.

Marans are often not prolific layers averaging 3 to 5 eggs per week, especially if they are darker on the egg scale.

Having a clogged vent from crusting could cause pasty butt. Hopefully this will fix things. I think I've heard olive oil is a good anti-constipation technique. Put it in a mash for her and watch her for several days.

I had a Silkie do a weird raspy thing and was standing straining. I picked her up to massage her stomach to check for egg binding and a HUGE egg plopped out in my hand. Her rasping ceased immediately.

Hopefully clearing the poop will do the trick. You might consider trimming her feathers around the vent. I know my Marans were a bit fluffier bottomed.

LofMc