- Jun 8, 2011
- 5
- 0
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Hi there and thanks everyone for so much great information on this site. I've spent the day poring over any and all info I could find regarding eggbound hens.....
I have a 3 year old Barred Rock who is clearly off.....perhaps she's lost some weight, though I wouldn't say she's anywhere near emaciated. She lives with three other hens, different breeds.
For about a week, she has shown less frequent pooping and poop is diarrhea, green & white, runny.
Three days ago, she became a little less active... she's usually the one roaring out of the run, not now. She would lay down and her breathing appears labored. She still eats, still drinks, is still alert and shows vivid color, eyes are bright. Still jumps up to roost, comes out with the others, though tends to stay on her own. Doesn't love walking today. Her gait seems wider and more waddley. Today her abdomen looks particularly low and distended, though so far she's not assumed that penguin gait that I've read so much about. She's always been an off and on layer... further only one of the brown egg hens lays eggs that are recognizable, and they sometimes break the eggs, so I'm not too sure when she stopped laying.
About a month ago, she was sitting on my lap (I wasn't clutching her in any way) and had some dried poop round her vent. I took a wide tooth comb to try to gently remove some of it, and she gave a little squeal and pushed out what looked like about a tablespoon of eggwhite and a teaspoon of bright red blood. I kept a close eye on her for some days following but she exhibited no strange behavior. I've seen weird things come out of chickens at times and let it go, thinking it was just some weird thing.
No other birds exhibiting symptoms.
No signs of trauma, but for the low abdomen.
Hens are on organic layer ration, supplemented with oyster shell and grit offered freely. They also received crushed eggshells.... I had laid off (forgetful) the oyster shell till about three months ago, then some of their eggshells were seeming a bit thin to me and it dawned on me I was forgetting the oyster. They also like oatmeal, brown rice with veggies, sunflower seeds (raw), and I try to offer cottage cheese or yogurt weekly with kelp meal and fish meal. And they get treats.
This hen has been eating it all, though not as voraciously today. Drinking water. Really liked the yogurt today.
Again poop is diarrhea, green and white and very runny. No odor.
I began soaking her yesterday morning, she's been very easy going with everything. Oiled her vent with olive oil, fed her some brown rice smothered in olive oil as well. Soaked her again yesterday afternoon. Soaked her this morning. Again oiled her vent. Took a syringe filled with tepid water and flushed the vent... didn't really see anything come out. Oiled my finger and inserted it all the way. Felt nothing. Didn't know if I could take a wrong turn? I had read somewhere to 'aim up', but it seemed I had only one option. Gently massaged the abdomen, trying to work things 'back'... can feel nothing that I would take to be an egg though. Crushed up a tums and fed it to her, she took about half of it. Brought her back in this evening, syringed olive oil into her vent, gently massaged again. It's cooler today up here so I"m not intending to soak her this evening.
There are no vets who treat chickens up this way! So many farms and chickens, and no vets! What's worse is I travel for work, and I have a friend who looks after the chickens, but I'm leaving on Friday for an entire month. My friend is great and will do his best to help her, but he works and isn't available throughout the day. I am hoping that all the oil and calcium and yogurt will do something for her... that perhaps there's something in there that I've just not felt yet. She seems to show all the signs of eggbinding but I just can't feel anything. Is there more I can do?
Thanks very much for your time. Best, Mardi
I have a 3 year old Barred Rock who is clearly off.....perhaps she's lost some weight, though I wouldn't say she's anywhere near emaciated. She lives with three other hens, different breeds.
For about a week, she has shown less frequent pooping and poop is diarrhea, green & white, runny.
Three days ago, she became a little less active... she's usually the one roaring out of the run, not now. She would lay down and her breathing appears labored. She still eats, still drinks, is still alert and shows vivid color, eyes are bright. Still jumps up to roost, comes out with the others, though tends to stay on her own. Doesn't love walking today. Her gait seems wider and more waddley. Today her abdomen looks particularly low and distended, though so far she's not assumed that penguin gait that I've read so much about. She's always been an off and on layer... further only one of the brown egg hens lays eggs that are recognizable, and they sometimes break the eggs, so I'm not too sure when she stopped laying.
About a month ago, she was sitting on my lap (I wasn't clutching her in any way) and had some dried poop round her vent. I took a wide tooth comb to try to gently remove some of it, and she gave a little squeal and pushed out what looked like about a tablespoon of eggwhite and a teaspoon of bright red blood. I kept a close eye on her for some days following but she exhibited no strange behavior. I've seen weird things come out of chickens at times and let it go, thinking it was just some weird thing.
No other birds exhibiting symptoms.
No signs of trauma, but for the low abdomen.
Hens are on organic layer ration, supplemented with oyster shell and grit offered freely. They also received crushed eggshells.... I had laid off (forgetful) the oyster shell till about three months ago, then some of their eggshells were seeming a bit thin to me and it dawned on me I was forgetting the oyster. They also like oatmeal, brown rice with veggies, sunflower seeds (raw), and I try to offer cottage cheese or yogurt weekly with kelp meal and fish meal. And they get treats.
This hen has been eating it all, though not as voraciously today. Drinking water. Really liked the yogurt today.
Again poop is diarrhea, green and white and very runny. No odor.
I began soaking her yesterday morning, she's been very easy going with everything. Oiled her vent with olive oil, fed her some brown rice smothered in olive oil as well. Soaked her again yesterday afternoon. Soaked her this morning. Again oiled her vent. Took a syringe filled with tepid water and flushed the vent... didn't really see anything come out. Oiled my finger and inserted it all the way. Felt nothing. Didn't know if I could take a wrong turn? I had read somewhere to 'aim up', but it seemed I had only one option. Gently massaged the abdomen, trying to work things 'back'... can feel nothing that I would take to be an egg though. Crushed up a tums and fed it to her, she took about half of it. Brought her back in this evening, syringed olive oil into her vent, gently massaged again. It's cooler today up here so I"m not intending to soak her this evening.
There are no vets who treat chickens up this way! So many farms and chickens, and no vets! What's worse is I travel for work, and I have a friend who looks after the chickens, but I'm leaving on Friday for an entire month. My friend is great and will do his best to help her, but he works and isn't available throughout the day. I am hoping that all the oil and calcium and yogurt will do something for her... that perhaps there's something in there that I've just not felt yet. She seems to show all the signs of eggbinding but I just can't feel anything. Is there more I can do?
Thanks very much for your time. Best, Mardi
