3yo RIR, egg problems? liver dz?

[aliris]

You can just give her small frozen chunks of coconut oil, she'll probably eat it on her own once she tastes it.
My hens love the taste and while it won't hurt them all to have a bit, I would not set out a lot of coconut oil for everyone to consume.

It's not uncommon for hens that are having reproductive problems to have a slow crop. If her crop doesn't empty overnight, then begin treating that symptom according to the article https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

I know she does love it but at this point she's suspicious about what I give her singly, lol. Smart chicken.

Yes, makes sense about the slow metabolism. She's been eating lightly for some time, it's part of the package of "off" behaviours that has made me notice and worry. She's also a little bit scraggly, a feather loose here and there.

 

[aliris]

Help dear wise ones. There's little change but possible some movement in a not-good direction. Her feathers are getting patchier. She still appears healthy-ish. But no eggs. Poopy butt is a little bit better. I gave her 8d of 500mg Calcium + D. But she doesn't eat a lot and without laying eggs I grew concerned I might give too much? I could go back to feeding her the pills of calcium but I'm not sure it's doing any good. I gave her some oil on a few days - not regularly but ever couple days. She's very "dense" but might be losing weight, or maybe it's just feathers. I seem to see more of her all the time. Her crest is rigib and red. The crop may have a small patch in the upper part front that feels gravely late in the day but I think it clears at night; there is not smell about her.

Do older hens just eat less? Both my older hens just go to bed earlier. They're heavier and slower.

 

[Eggcessive]

She could be starting to molt, since it is that time of year between now and autumn. Molting hens have poor appetites. If older hens are having reproductive problems, they also may not eat as much. I offer some bits of egg or a little tuna for extra protein for all to share, and usually the molders will join in. The best time to check the crop is early morning or before daylight, to see that is emptying.

 

[aliris]

She could be starting to molt, since it is that time of year between now and autumn. Molting hens have poor appetites. If older hens are having reproductive problems, they also may not eat as much. I offer some bits of egg or a little tuna for extra protein for all to share, and usually the molders will join in. The best time to check the crop is early morning or before daylight, to see that is emptying.

Thank you, I was wondering about the molt maybe just being life. Though I just noticed significant poopy butt and am going to stuff more oil down her gullet. Also, I imagine it's just plain been a stressful laying season for her around here and even if it's a little early her body just might be saying "basta" for the year.

She used to be fluffed out and rounded beneath but I've been seeing "pants" on her for a long while now - that is the feathers don't poof out around her legs so they become visible. But.... she doesn't seem unhappy so if there's no obvious intervention y'all suggest I'll try to keep going vigilantly. When I say she "eats less" that's just relative. She's actually eating plenty I think, watching her scratch/peck for hours. Bascially, in her old age she's not a pushy overeater I think maybe?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would clean up her vent area with a soapy butt bath and dry her well. Why give her oil? Has she been constipated? Or having a crop issue?

 

[aliris]

I would clean up her vent area with a soapy butt bath and dry her well. Why give her oil? Has she been constipated? Or having a crop issue?

Well, upstream - She's had a poopy butt for some time, for as long now as I've wondered about her health. Very few eggs. One with zero shell the day after I gave her oil (wyorp's advice), soft eggs, maybe three over the past three months? Forgetting the time frame, but that's also all there's been; those few there have been have all had soft or no shells.

I have bathed her, inspected the vent to the extent I can but not sure what to look for, looks fine to me. I thought maybe she was swollen in the butt/below-legs area and someone said "yup, maybe a little....". I don't feel any eggs in there.

Very slight crop sondieration, but probably just end-of-day-fullness; seems to be ok the next day. And the slight smell I caught around her once was probably because I squeezed the poor thing's crop causing her to basically, "burp". So - duh - that's gonna smell I think.

After giving her oil sporadically, on two occasions after giving her some she did thereafter lay - once with soft eggshell, another time with no shell at all.

So... I think these interventions are having an effect, but there's some underlying condition that it's not really addressing. Maybe it's just stress or old-age, I really have zero idea.

 

[Eggcessive]

Her crop shouldn’t have a sour odor unless it is becoming sour. If her crop is full and puffy soft in the morning before eating or drinking, there may be a problem.

 

[aliris]

There was just the one time the odor was sour. At that and also at one subsequent time, there was a grubbly lump in her crop late in the day. When checked the next morning, though, the grubbly lump was gone. The crop has never been super-full, it was more a lump, approx 1 inch in size. I actually wondered about tumor because it could be she was sensitive about my touching it. As well the molting she is doing is slightly coming first in the crop area. None of this am I convinced is any real pathology? That grubbly lump was not low down but high up, I think, in the anatomy of the crop -- which IIRC is a good thing, not as if it were really backing up and falling down low in this trough. (And which was the case in a recent calamity which first started in my estimation with noticing this crop problem).

 

[aliris]

OK, anyone have any new ideas please? I think it's the fourth, maybe 5th egg in probably 3 months from this girl with no-super soft yolk. I had stopped with the calcium because I don't see it's making a difference and I feel badly force-feeding it to her. But I can go back. I haven't given her any oil for some time. I noticed this morning an *extremely* poopy butt then later discovered the nest all souped up with nasty gooshy egg residue. There are three whole eggs so I know it's coming from her. Her behavior still doesn't seem any the worse for wear.

I notice none of them seem to eat as many calcium or egg shells as they used to? But the shells of the other three are hard. I also got some oyster shells that's sharded as well as I think I have two other forms of calcium as well as those pills; the other forms of calcium are free for them to pick at will. The affected chicken does seem to still be losing some feathers.

Any more ideas? I don't see any vermin in the coop. No sour crop. The other chicken of her age (close to 3yo) just laid a 90g double egg if you can believe it (this chicken's eggs are always in the 50g range).

Should I resume the calcium pills? More oil? thanks for any thoughts...

 

[Lillith37]

Double yolked eggs are more common at the beginning and end of a chicken’s laying life, if my understanding is correct.

I would continue with calcium supplements for the one laying soft shells. Also check her crop each morning to make sure it’s empty. Check her abdomen regularly for swelling (ascites, caused by internal laying and infection). Make sure your flock is parasite free.

Did you end up changing their food to a higher protein % and less treats?