ADDITIONAL INFO: Ugh. My Margo. Again.

[micstrachan]

Hi All,
Remember last summer when Margo was sick? It seemed she had an oviduct infection. She recovered after amoxicillin. Well, here we go again. Maybe. I’ve noticed a blue tinge on the back of her comb the last few days. Just like last year. Also, though she’s three years old, Margo is still my most prolific layer. She is a Leghorn. Yesterday she laid a very thin shelled egg. The flock has been switched to starter with calcium (oyster shell and/or egg shell) on the side, since the chicks are with them.
This morning when I let the girls out, Margo was fluffed up with tail low. Clearly feeling lousy. I gave her a calcium citrate and offered raw egg. She took one sip. I also gave her a nice cuddle, which she seemed to like. Margo is top hen and quite bossy when it comes to food, so I whipped up some scrambled egg to see what she would do. She DID eat some, and sort of tried to assert her dominance. Not sure what I’ll find when I get home from work. Thinking I’ll continue calcium for a couple days and go from there. Suggestions are welcome or feel free to follow.

 

[AmyJane725]

If her symptoms are the same as last year maybe she's got an oviduct infection again. Try some fish mox maybe? Or get her to a vet and checked out.

 

[micstrachan]

If her symptoms are the same as last year maybe she's got an oviduct infection again. Try some fish mox maybe? Or get her to a vet and checked out.

Yes, I might. I don’t want to rush to antibiotics if she’s just uncomfortable from a soft egg. I might decide when I get home from work in a bit here.

 

[micstrachan]

Oh, crap. It wasn’t a soft egg. There was a formed egg from Margo today. She’s worse now. Intervention is definitely required. She has stinky diarrhea and seems very weak.

 

[micstrachan]

Margo is fading fast, I’m afraid. I’ve got her in a carrier with a heating pad propped up with towel, but she can barely move. I’m going to dose her with enrofloxacin and hope.

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

I'm sorry that this happened to your chicken, and I hope that she pulls through.
Good luck.

 

[Kathy Golla]

What on earth?
I can’t fathom what this is..low tail signals pain to me.
Yes throw that antibiotic at her fast, best option.
Do you have dog rimadyl or dog tramadol?
She may just be feeling very badly...we’ve already determined she has a bit of a low pain tolerance, right?
From experience, be careful about syringe or tube feeding her too much right now if you are thinking about that. If they’ve got other issues going on their crop can get slow. Waters more important than food.
Ah, feel for you friend. Fingers crossed.
@Eggcessive, @Wyorp Rock , @coach723 , need the cavalry here-help for a bycer friend needed!

 

[Kathy Golla]

michelle are you 100% sure she laid an egg today?

 

[micstrachan]

Well... there was one white egg and she’s my only white egg layer. Unless somehow I missed it yesterday, but yesterday there was that thin shelled white egg with a chip out of it. Just direct dosed her with a little straight nutridrench, Enro and low dose aspirin, since I can’t find the ibuprofen. Yes, we have learned that Margo is a total weenie with pain. Forgot to mention I saw her poop a slightly soft, but not runny poop this morning before the stinky, slimy one after work. She seems to have a very slightly runny nose (clear), but that has been cycling through my flock for some time. Margo ate some canned corn that I had left over from taco salad. I know the sodium isn’t good, but figured she hadn’t eaten all day with her empty crop. She won’t drink water, but I can syringe her tiny volumes, if needed.

 

[Kathy Golla]

You’ve got it handled. You are doing everything right.
She could have laid that egg yesterday and is feeling poorly with a new egg coming, or just laid the egg and is recovering from laying it. Regardless that antibiotic is the right one for repro and respiratory probs.
I have one hen that is a complete weenie about pain. Last night she got the tiniest nick in between her toes scratching and I swear you would think her leg got amputated. My husband called me outside as he thought she might have broke her leg. So we know this low pain tolerance is real.
Next time you take your dog to the vet, make up an excuse to get some rimadyl. Very common and fairly cheap for dogs, works great for poultry and they only need a little.
Fingers crossed. Will be interested in what others weigh in with.