Cloudy Eye and Egg binding

[Kjm279]

One of our 9mo hens seems to have broken an egg inside. Yesterday she spent all day on the roost, standing, with her bottom tucked downwards. Under her was a glob that looked like egg whites & yolk, no obvious shell though. We haven’t noticed any previous issues with laying although all of our hens have slowed slightly (we’re in Minnesota & do not provide heat or lighting).

We brought her into the garage this morning as it is slightly warmer and she’s more susceptible to being bullied by the other hens (sweet dark Brahma). She has had her eyes closed and I was trying to inspect her. She opens her left eye, which looks bright and clear. Her right eye she opened a little and it is very cloudy, but has no crusting, no watering, no swelling.

Her crop feels good - like she’s been eating but not impacted.
I’ve witnessed her drinking
Her comb is pink/red - not too dark, not purple, not pale.
Her abdomen felt goo too. Not swelling or bloating.
Her vent looks normal.
No signs of coughing, sneezing, gasping.
Her back/left wing feathers had little bit of ice, so it seems she did tuck her head in for bed last night. Not sure if she sat though. Her right foot was a stiff but it looks good and less cold now that she’s in the garage.

I doubt I can get a pic of the cloudy eye but I can attach a thumbnail of what I thought was possible egg.

 

[Kjm279]

I think she definitely got some frostbite on her right foot last night from now covering her feet overnight (our black Sumatra may have been resting on her left foot…) she’s not putting pressure on her right foot either and it has swelling.

I got a blurryish pic of her eye and looking at a front view comparison, it is a bit swollen.

Still drinking and eating.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you can get some amoxicillin or Aqua Mox online, it might help to give her 250 mg twice a day for 10 days for any infection that may be caused by the broken egg. Here is a link:
https://www.chewy.com/midland-vet-services-aqua-mox-fish/dp/344724

I would also give a human calcium tablet or Tums orally for the next 3 days to see if her egg shells get harder. When they have a broken egg inside or trouble passing an egg, it can make them feel weak. Do you have her on layer feed or provide crushed oyster shell?

Hopefully, the frostbite is not too serious. It helps to make sure the bedding is stirred often and dry. I like wide roosts with 2x4’s so they can sit on their feet.

 

[Kjm279]

If you can get some amoxicillin or Aqua Mox online, it might help to give her 250 mg twice a day for 10 days for any infection that may be caused by the broken egg. Here is a link:
https://www.chewy.com/midland-vet-services-aqua-mox-fish/dp/344724

I would also give a human calcium tablet or Tums orally for the next 3 days to see if her egg shells get harder. When they have a broken egg inside or trouble passing an egg, it can make them feel weak. Do you have her on layer feed or provide crushed oyster shell?

Hopefully, the frostbite is not too serious. It helps to make sure the bedding is stirred often and dry. I like wide roosts with 2x4’s so they can sit on their feet.

The frostbite is due to her not sitting last night. Otherwise, yes, they’re on 2x4’s for roosts with wood trays under that (I dump in the compost weekly) and a very generous amount of bedding on the floor of the coop, which I actually just changed out about a month ago.

They (6 hens) are on layer feed with oyster shell mixed in. She hasn’t had any previous issues with thin shells or soft eggs previously and honestly, I was just thinking it was potentially a broken egg due to what the above photo showed.

I’m pretty sure I already have some aqua mox here. I’ll look for that and add it to her water. Her eye is concerning though too. And I hope she sits tonight for sleeping. I’m hesitant to bring her inside because it is 20F out and that’s “warm” for what is has been the past week. We do not supply any heating or light for the hens in the winter. Just adequate ventilation and protection for drafts, etc.

 

[LaFleche]

Make sure to leave at least 4 hours between administering the amoxicillin and the calcium, or else the calcium will deminish/inhibit the amoxicillin uptake.

I hope she will recover soon.

 

[LaFleche]

What exactly is this on her foot pad? Dirt or could this be bumblefoot and the cause for the swelling?

 

[Kjm279]

What exactly is this on her foot pad? Dirt or could this be bumblefoot and the cause for the swelling?

View attachment 2944593

She had pooped and not had bedding put down yet and so that’s what’s on there.

 

[Kjm279]

Her poor eye. What is going on here?

 

[Eggcessive]

Her poor eye. What is going on here?

The eye looks blinded. It also looks a bit sunken. Does the other eye appear sunken? This doesn’t look like the typical grey eye seen in Mareks disease, but it could have resulted from a injury or infection. The dark spot on her foot pad looks like some bumblefoot. If she has frostbite, you may know more in a few days as the tissue changes.

 

[Kjm279]

The eye looks blinded. It also looks a bit sunken. Does the other eye appear sunken? This doesn’t look like the typical grey eye seen in Mareks disease, but it could have resulted from a injury or infection. The dark spot on her foot pad looks like some bumblefoot. If she has frostbite, you may know more in a few days as the tissue changes.

The spot on her foot is 100% poop. Came off.

Her other eye is clear and fine.