Chicken stands with legs parted - won't squat.

[murfmagic]

I have this chicken that's about 3 years old and she's stopped laying. She stands with her legs wide apart and can't squat down to sleep. I have her in my basement as I thought she was egg bound and might be, but it's been over two weeks that she's like this. I have given her warm baths and massaged her vent along with putting mineral oil in her vent with a very thin syringe and wrapped her in a heated towel from the dryer. I have given her yogurt with added calcium that I crushed and mixed in with it. I have tried a B complex in her water. She is eating and drinking but is staying the same.
Her stomach is hard and extended or so I think, but I don't see an egg and I don't know what I'm feeling for.
Anyone have any suggestions…I'm stumped and don't know what else to do for her.
I am not comfortable breaking the egg and trying to remove the shell on my own, if there's even an egg there.


Now another problem…one of my chicken's got frost bite on one of her toes and I brought her in to keep an eye on it as she was in a lot of pain. Eventually it fell off and she was a lot better, so I put her back in with the flock and about an hour later I saw her standing out in the freezing cold by herself shaking. I went and got her and her head was covered in blood. So…back down in the basement I cleaned her wounds and put on an antibiotic cream and left her alone as she completely shut down. She was in shock and extreme pain, but she bounced back and she's been separated from the others for about a month or more. I reintroduced her to the others and stayed with them and sure enough four of the others went for her. I just kept shooing them apart, but one chicken and her went at it for over twenty minutes. I had a broom that I was using to keep it from getting ugly but I figured they had to work it out. Finallly it subsided and they quitted down, but when I came back about 20 mins. later, they were picking on her again and she was covered in blood so I took her back down to doctor her.
How do I get the others to accept her back into the coop…she should really be with her own and I feel really sorry for her as the others have shunned her.
Any suggestions with this one.

Maggie

 

[boskelli1571]

Hello & welcome,
2nd problem 1st - can you put her in a roomy cage within the coop? Thay way she's with the flock (sort of) and they can't beat on her. After a few days ry letting her out with the rest again

1st problem - someone else here is having similar problem under the label 'sick chicken'. Eggcesive thinks it may be egg yolk peritonitis. Please read the thread tho'. I don't have any experience with this fortunately, good luck, Sue

 

[Eggcessive]

Your hen may be suffering from internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis. Oviduct cancer is also common. Ascites is also common which is a fluid build-up from heart failure or liver disease. Many of these hensare in pain, and other than antibiotics which may or may not help, sometimes need to be put down. As for re-introducing a chicken back to the flock, it has to be gradually as boskelli said. A fence-off area or a cage where she can be around them. It only takes a few days for the flock to not recognize a flock memeber. That's why I always try to keep them in the coop in a cage, so they stay a part of the gang. Here are 2 links you may want to read:
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
http://www.avianweb.com/eggyolkperitonitis.html

 

[murfmagic]

Thanks guys, I have a large dog crate that I can put in the coop and that will keep them apart, but she will still be with them. Dugh, I should have thought of that.
As far as the other chicken goes, I will go to the link and read up on it. I am going to post a picture of her so you can see what I mean.

 

[murfmagic]

OMG…the chicken in the picture of the link you sent me is exactly how she is standing and her breathing is laboured. Like I said, her stomach is full and her breast bone is so prominent. Poor thing…how can I put her down humanly. Anyone know

 

[murfmagic]

Here are a couple of pictures of her.

 

[wren]

Im so sorry! You could take her to the vet and have her euthanized.

Could she have gotten so cold that her legs are frozen somewhat but not necrotic yet?