Chicken throwing up, bearing down

[AdiosCowboy]

Almost a week ago, I took my 3 y/o hen to the vet after pulling an empty, deflated egg from her vet. The vet said she was acting healthy and there was no egg shell left inside her, but gave me some calcium powder and antibiotic in case of egg yolk peritonitis. Everything has been fine, but yesterday she threw up a little bit of water. Still she was acting normally and eating just fine, so I thought maybe she had been drinking too much water because it was so hot out and made herself sick. Her poo has also been watery for a while, as have my other chickens, due to the heat.

This evening, however, my hen had been keeping her tail down and standing with her wings slightly out at her sides. When I picked her up to give her the antibiotics tonight she gurgled and threw up water (it wasn't sticky and didn't smell that I could tell). Her vent was clean, crop full, eyes clear, and abdomen soft. However, when I tried to give her a treat tonight after examining her she wouldn't eat.

Did she just drink too much water? What are the signs of peritonitis? Thank you for your help.

 

[hcppam]

I don't know what to tell you I hope someone comes along soon, sorry

 

[AdiosCowboy]

I'm beginning to suspect that the real problem is that she has a soft-shelled egg that she's having trouble getting out, just like she did nine days ago. I've given my girls a ramekin full of oyster shell and grit and I've been tapping some powdered calcium on their treats every day. What else can I do to help her get a soft-shelled egg out and start laying properly again (when it gets about 100* F everyday)? Especially if she stops eating as much.

 

[CapricornFarm]

She sounds like she's suffering from the heat. Do you have a fan in the coop? A shallow pan or mud puddle helps cool their feet. Ice in the water , watermelon treats. Try do a search under peritonitis, I am not up on that. But this heat is very dangerous.

 

[AdiosCowboy]

Just when I think she is going to zig, she zags. My hen who was so poor-looking last night has her tail up and looks fine this morning. This morning was her last dose of antibiotics, so if an infection of any sort is the problem the symptoms should become more pronounced soon.

In case it is an egg problem, this morning I lubed her vent with KY jelly and gave the girls a treat of scratch and sunflower seeds tossed with calcium powder which they gobbled right up.

 

[goldeneggtees]

Hi, how is your hen doing today?

I noticed one of my 2.5 yr old hens in the nest box for a long time with no egg after, that was on Wednesday. Then yesterday, I noticed she was drinking tons of water so I picked her up to look her over and she threw up all the water she had been drinking. Today, she was standing around looking tired and puffed up. And again she was drinking tons of water. When I picked her up being careful not to disturb her crop, she threw up so much water, I couldn't believe it. Now I brought her in and made her a special treat of eggs, yogurt and laying crumble and she wasn't at all interested in the treat. I don't know what is going on. UGH!