- Jul 30, 2008
- 3
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I have a 2-yr bantam OEG hen. Late last week, she seemed to be more subdued than "normal" - she's pretty active and an expert hunter of bugs, etc. She appeared puffy and like she was taking a nap in the yard - eyes closed, etc. My instinct told me something was off, so once I was able to get ahold of her, her distended belly was easily apparent. Her vent was pasty, and feathers were trimmed away from her vent that day to assist in this department.
I continued to observe her for the next few days and there really was no change. Our weather here (MN) has gotten very hot, so I made the decision to bring her inside and start to monitor her more closely as well as "try" to decide if this was an egg-binding issue.
I do not know for sure if she was laying prior to all this happening, and her face/wattles are very red. Her wings droop down and she seems to be breathing heavier than normal.
Yesterday, I did several very warm bath soaks, massaged her belly, gave her a solution of olive oil-pedialite-milk-karo syrup, took a q-tip and "tried" to go up inside her and probably didn't do a very good job with this aspect (yikes!). When I feel her belly, it feels like it's all full of fluid and I do not feel anything remotely solid-ish to resemble an egg. I can see several areas of her belly skin and they look yellow-ish, like it's been bruised.
When she walks, she has to waddle due to her protruding belly, and seems to stand still mostly. She is eating a bit (crumbled egg, some flax meal, some pelleted feed, etc.) and I have not seen her drink in the past couple of hours. Her droppings are runny and very smelly. Right now, she's laying down in her carrier and looking at me.
It seems like most of what I have read about egg binding is that if this was the case for her, we're at at least day 5, she would not have lasted this long.
I would greatly appreciate ANY ideas, advice, things I should try, links, etc. We really do not have any great avian vets that understand poultry, so you all are my best hope!
In appreciation,
Tanya
I continued to observe her for the next few days and there really was no change. Our weather here (MN) has gotten very hot, so I made the decision to bring her inside and start to monitor her more closely as well as "try" to decide if this was an egg-binding issue.
I do not know for sure if she was laying prior to all this happening, and her face/wattles are very red. Her wings droop down and she seems to be breathing heavier than normal.
Yesterday, I did several very warm bath soaks, massaged her belly, gave her a solution of olive oil-pedialite-milk-karo syrup, took a q-tip and "tried" to go up inside her and probably didn't do a very good job with this aspect (yikes!). When I feel her belly, it feels like it's all full of fluid and I do not feel anything remotely solid-ish to resemble an egg. I can see several areas of her belly skin and they look yellow-ish, like it's been bruised.
When she walks, she has to waddle due to her protruding belly, and seems to stand still mostly. She is eating a bit (crumbled egg, some flax meal, some pelleted feed, etc.) and I have not seen her drink in the past couple of hours. Her droppings are runny and very smelly. Right now, she's laying down in her carrier and looking at me.
It seems like most of what I have read about egg binding is that if this was the case for her, we're at at least day 5, she would not have lasted this long.
I would greatly appreciate ANY ideas, advice, things I should try, links, etc. We really do not have any great avian vets that understand poultry, so you all are my best hope!
In appreciation,
Tanya
