Advice needed - potentially eggbound silkie

[georgiegoose]

Hiya, we have a 2 yr old silkie hen that is possibly eggbound but unsure if it could maybe be something else causing her distress. She hasn't laid for months but she is exhibiting a lot of the symptoms of being eggbound so we have been treating her for this.

She is usually very active and perky, but for the past few days has been noticeably quiet and lethargic. She has been struggling to walk and is waddling, sometimes unsteady as she walks and reluctant to move much. I have felt her abdomen and it is a mixture of squishy and what feels like an egg-sized lump that moves when gently massaged. The egg-sized lump is firm and sits just behind her legs. I have also felt inside her vent but couldn't feel anything, although I may not have felt far enough inwards. She has been eating and drinking okay, preening and making some sounds. Her breathing is sometimes heavy and her vent pulsates, but she doesn't seem to be trying to lay while we have been monitoring her.

She hasn't been able to defecate normally which is worrying me, and when she does, it is loose like diarrhoea. I haven't seen any leakage whatsoever. Yesterday she defecated when I checked her vent (loose and green with white cap), but I'm worried the squishyness around the lump could be faeces that has been blocked by the egg

So far I have bathed her in Epsom salts three times, leaving her to sit and soak for up to 20 mins each time. I've lubricated her vent with petroleum jelly and she has also had a calcium tablet this morning. The calcium tabs are for humans and I've given her 5ug - the tablets are huge so have broken these up but I have no idea how much is safe to give her.

Any advice is muchly appreciated

 

[Saveria]

Is her abdomen swollen? It sounds like internal laying could possibly be going on. Is an avian vet an option?

 

[coach723]

It does sound more like a reproductive problem, particularly since she hasn't laid in months. It could be infection, or cancer, it's often very hard to tell from the outside. If vet care is an option they may be able to do some imaging that will tell you. Treatment options for any of the various reproductive problems they can have are pretty limited. If it's internal laying then sometimes stopping them from ovulating can extend their life. That requires a hormonal implant. For many of the other issues, treatments are often not viable or successful. If a bird is truly eggbound they cannot poop, and they will usually die fairly quickly because of that. Some infections and cancers can form a mass that may feel like an egg.

 

[georgiegoose]

It does sound more like a reproductive problem, particularly since she hasn't laid in months. It could be infection, or cancer, it's often very hard to tell from the outside. If vet care is an option they may be able to do some imaging that will tell you. Treatment options for any of the various reproductive problems they can have are pretty limited. If it's internal laying then sometimes stopping them from ovulating can extend their life. That requires a hormonal implant. For many of the other issues, treatments are often not viable or successful. If a bird is truly eggbound they cannot poop, and they will usually die fairly quickly because of that. Some infections and cancers can form a mass that may feel like an egg.

Thinking back on it, it seems that some of our other hens have been falling ill with similar symptoms as none of the flock has been laying for months now. One of our larger hens is currently showing symptoms of watery diarrhoea and isn't strong enough to jump onto her perch. We have been giving her electrolytes to no avail and the problem persists. She had also fell over and wasn't able to get up this morning, but otherwise eating and acting like her usual self.

We had one suddenly pass away at the end of June with little symptoms apart from lethargy, unsteadiness, and loose droppings that showed in her final hours. Last year we lost one after a few days of these symptoms. Could this all be connected and they are suffering from a parasite or disease within the flock that has gradually presented itself, or possibly Mareks?

 

[coach723]

It's very hard to say, but losing multiple birds to similar symptoms would be a good reason to have a necropsy done on the next one you lose. There are so many things that can happen, and often different causes can have very similar symptoms. A professional necropsy, with labs, will look for viral and bacterial causes as well as obvious things. The information can be really helpful, and sometimes brings peace of mind. I would recommend you do that. Then you will have a better idea if this is something running through your flock, or if they are more likely all unrelated incidents. In many states it's not terribly expensive, and often well worth it. Resources below by state, call them and get particulars, they will tell you how to ship, or deliver if you are close enough. Your local ag extension office may also know of local resources.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html