Broken shell in vent, vet visit, antibiotics, etc.

[Melissa97]

Hear is a picture of my girl

 

[Lizzy733]

Sounds a bit like Salpingitis.. My girl started laying brittle eggs, soft shell eggs, then no shell eggs in the lead-up to proper lash eggs. She hadn't had a respiratory infection either, but I've heard that can end up causing reproductive infections, which would be why the vet was checking. Keep an eye out for puss - soft or hard in her stool and watch her behavior. If that is her diagnosis, it isn't considered contagious, so she may be happier kept with her flockmates unless she's having difficulties.
A long warm saline bath can help relieve some of the pain from internal swelling - just make sure to keep the vent area clean. If she's passing loose stool and soft eggs often, you may need to do this every day or so.
What kind of feed are they on? A good pelleted feed should contain enough calcium to keep them from needing to hit up the oyster tray too often. Also, if you're feeding that out in a dish - elevate it and weigh it down with a hefty rock in the middle.

 

[GoatDragonFarms]

Oh, she's lovely!

 

[Khalpers]

Sounds a bit like Salpingitis.. My girl started laying brittle eggs, soft shell eggs, then no shell eggs in the lead-up to proper lash eggs. She hadn't had a respiratory infection either, but I've heard that can end up causing reproductive infections, which would be why the vet was checking. Keep an eye out for puss - soft or hard in her stool and watch her behavior. If that is her diagnosis, it isn't considered contagious, so she may be happier kept with her flockmates unless she's having difficulties.
A long warm saline bath can help relieve some of the pain from internal swelling - just make sure to keep the vent area clean. If she's passing loose stool and soft eggs often, you may need to do this every day or so.
What kind of feed are they on? A good pelleted feed should contain enough calcium to keep them from needing to hit up the oyster tray too often. Also, if you're feeding that out in a dish - elevate it and weigh it down with a hefty rock in the middle.

I haven't heard of Salpingitis but will ask the vet tomorrow. She eats an organic layer feed usually, and they get mealworms as snacks, occasionally some greens from the garden, and they forage in the yard a few hours a day. I don't feed them a ton of leftovers or anything. The past three days she's only eaten a little bit of yogurt and scrambled eggs. Won't touch the layer feed. I'll try a warm saline bath in the morning if I can get her to do it without being too stressed out. I'm just trying to find the balance between helping her without getting her worked up and scared. Thank you for the suggestions.

 

[Khalpers]

No problem! , this exact same thing happened to one of my hens (shelless egg broken inside of her vent) and she was also misdiagnosed and I almost lost her because of it so I know what you're going thru. I asked a avian expert on just answer for help as my vet was saying that there was nothing they could do as they said she had cancer of the liver!, and I just didint buy it as it made no sense to me how they came up with that diagnosis so I demanded the antibiotics that the avian vet recomended on just answer and she got better and made a full recovery!. She also had the poop you discribe but she had a bit of blood mixed in there too as my hens infection was even more advanced. The avian expert from just answer told me to tell my vet to put her on a both baytril and clavamox (together) as with thease types of infection they need more than one antibiotic and very agressive treatment (she was on this for almost 2 months!!) or it is liable to come back. And make sure they give you metacam for pain and inflamation which will help her recovery a lot as she'll eat and drink more and be more comfortable. Please act fast as thease infection can get out of hand very quickly. Also if you wanted to give her a break from laying eggs you could ask you're vet to implant a suprelorin/ deslorelin implant into her and she will stop laying for 6 or so months and then if she continues to produce shelless eggs then you could continue with the implants for the rest of her life like I've been, my hen has been on them since she was 2 and she is now 6 and will be 7 this october so they work great and you don't have to worry about anymore eggs again!. They need to be repeated every 6 months or so and it's like microchipping a dog it's just a quick needle under the skin between the shoulders or into the brest muscle to insert the small implant so not invasive at all.

Thank you for the reply. I am feeling pretty worried. I left a message for the vet earlier, and I'll hopefully hear back tomorrow with the culture results. At least then, maybe I'll know if she can go back with her flock mates. The vet we saw said she didn't have a lot of experience with chickens, but another vet at the practice does (he was out that day). Hopefully I can get some more answers tomorrow, and I'll ask about those treatment options. Thanks so much! Your little girl is beautiful.

 

[Lizzy733]

I haven't heard of Salpingitis but will ask the vet tomorrow. She eats an organic layer feed usually, and they get mealworms as snacks, occasionally some greens from the garden, and they forage in the yard a few hours a day. I don't feed them a ton of leftovers or anything. The past three days she's only eaten a little bit of yogurt and scrambled eggs. Won't touch the layer feed. I'll try a warm saline bath in the morning if I can get her to do it without being too stressed out. I'm just trying to find the balance between helping her without getting her worked up and scared. Thank you for the suggestions.

I'm sure she'll be fussy about the bath at first, but will settle in once she realizes it's comfortable... Just get the temp right and put her in while it's still filling. You may need to gently press her down into the bath to make sure she's covered at least up to her vent and just let her soak a bit. Of course, be mindful if she's panting to cool down the bath.
Then, either wrap her in a towel and dry slowly in your lap or hair dryer on low.

 

[Melissa97]

Thankyou, yes hopefully you're vet will respond as soon as possible as time is of the essence! , a infection like this needs serious antibiotic treatment and the sooner the better, I know all to well how frustrating it is to deal with a vet that isint familiar with chickens but you must tell them what you want them to do or they may give her the wrong stuff which won't save her!. Tell them you want her on baytril and clavamox and metacam and could they please start her on thease meds right away because you saw that an egg broke inside of her vent. In the meantime keep her calm and stress free and make sure she is getting plenty of fluids (vitamins/electrolytes) whould be best and see if you can find some hand feeding formula for parrots like kaytee baby bird food from exact, pet smart carries it and feed her that mixed with the vitamin/electrolyte water in a liquidy solution with a syringe on the side of the beak so she dosent aspirate. Give her this every half hour if you're able to. Try to not handle her more then nessasary as not to cause her more stress, please let us know how she doing and I so hope the vet helps her soon!!

 

[Melissa97]

Hear is the hand feeding formula it's great stuff for a sick bird, it's 22 percent proetin and has probiotics in it to, also if you can mix some dried meal worms into it too like crush them up to a fine dust that whould be even better as they are like 58 percent proetin so very high energy foods which she need to fight this infection.

 

[Khalpers]

Update: I saw a vet this morning who has much more experience with chickens and keeps a flock of retiree hens himself. The culture for mg came back negative. He wasn’t concerned about the broken egg, but he said her crop was very doughy. He prescribed amoxicillin and metoclopramide. She is back with the flock, and we’re going to keep a close eye on her. Thank you all so much for your help and support!

 

[Khalpers]

As soon as she got out of the carrier this morning, she started sunbathing.