Egg-bound 6 mo. Old Jersey Giant

PDXJULES

Crowing
Apr 18, 2020
584
1,550
306
Portland, Oregon USA - 97217
I brought Wiley indoors 1 wk ago, noting that she had been fluffed out, hunched, tail down and isolating. Wouldn't eat or drink. Lowest on the pecking order of 6 Pullets.

She's been mostly in a dark area in a pet kennel covered with a sheet. She' s had crushed OsCal - vit D3 with Calcium - daily, with layer pellets, Oyster shells. A couple of warm Epsom Soaks, and yogurt a couple times too.

She is eating again, tail back up, wants out of the kennel, chatty and wants to socialize. Thin runny poo at first, now larger size, more frequent and passing normal looking poo, with some stinky content.

Her illlness appears past - except there is a lot of Egg-song like squawking, then only poo instead of eggs, morning and afternoon daily.

This was preceeded a few times - since they all started laying in October - with a few instances of double shell-less eggs on the poo board, and also there has been been large double-yolk brown egg a couple times i think were hers. We lost a 5 Mo. Eggbound RiR to internal laying a few weeks ago...so took more actions sooner with Wiley. idk if the shellless eggs were
Goldies or Wylies or if both laid soft shell/shelless egg combos. I think Wylie because Goldie laid almost daily in the same nest til she became eggbound, and laid internally. None looked like gukky thick lash eggs.

I broke some bones in my arm. Last Saturday, so i can't hold her to try massage or to see if i feel an egg. Can't trim fluff or get to Vent anymore - it looked healthy but dry last Friday. I cant take the Chickens to a Vet whenever something seems off. There are no other pets, and she love the 7 year old girl who quietly visits.

I don't know when to return her outside. I have not seen a herd pussy wad that resembles a lash egg, and nothing this week.
.aside from Egg Song. If she is likely to die, i'd like her to have better days outside, unless she gets chased or pecked a lot...and we are working to make a free-range area safer, as a Coyote, Racoon and Hawk are visitors to our city yard.
.but i fear that more light will increase ovulation. The others all lay almost daily, with no extra light...and she would not have laying box privacy at their favorite boxes.

I'm aware there may be an oviduct or ovary infection, hence the yogurt, an a soup with dried ginger, minced garlic, oregano and thyme powders has been offered as a natural support. She has resisted drinking water most days, so i add it to her food. I guess i just need some support, as some times she seems fine...but egg-bound probably means death. Should i push that issue by moving her back outside with the others - and hope for the best?
 

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I’m sorry, but I’m a little confused. Is she currently egg bound? Has this been recurring?
Is a vet an option?
If she has an egg stuck in her, either take her to a vet or look up how to treat it.
She showed every sign of being eggbound - and there have been shell-less double eggs several times. 2nd Pullet to have the issue - the first died with internal laying. I've looked up everything on the net i think. Can't do the massage part - and some warn against it...or big Vet bills. I guess looking for opinion if she should stay inside, where it is warm, dark and quiet - but boring - or if i should risk returning her to the flock now that some signs are improved. Poo pix are last couple days...almost normal....and she's eating more.
 
If you suspect she is eggbound, put her in a container of warm water up to her sides and gently massage her underside front to rear while she is soaking. Do this for about 30 minutes.
The warm water will expand her innards and massaging her front to rear will help her move the egg along. Then wear a disposable glove and put a little olive oil or vegetable oil just inside her vent. This will make it easier for her to lay the egg. Repeat as necessary with soaking and massaging. You can use a hair dryer to dry her off if you wish.
 
update - I broke a couple bones in my left arm Dec 5th - was unable to perform any sort of chicken massage or bath procedure after that. After she was able to do natural looking poos again without hollering like she was laying an egg, we returned Wiley to the henhouse, and stopped any supplemental light. Hoping the dark season will allow her body to keep maturing and possibly repair the oviduct damage i suspect she had. She's lowest in pecking order, but staying alive and interested in life. She shows interest in nest box activity, but stays clear of many of the areas the dominant birds frequent. As days lengthen, i hope she can lay, but if not, we'll watch to see if she might like a new nest and roosting area in the yard adjacent to their run. My partner is building a strong, albiet ugly pallet fence for a foraging space.

Curious if a non layer might still become a broody in Spring? I have an incubator, but may wait and watch for potential Chickie Mama's to emerge. For now, just glad we both survived 2020 - scarred but still kicking!!
 
I brought Wiley indoors 1 wk ago, noting that she had been fluffed out, hunched, tail down and isolating. Wouldn't eat or drink. Lowest on the pecking order of 6 Pullets.

She's been mostly in a dark area in a pet kennel covered with a sheet. She' s had crushed OsCal - vit D3 with Calcium - daily, with layer pellets, Oyster shells. A couple of warm Epsom Soaks, and yogurt a couple times too.

She is eating again, tail back up, wants out of the kennel, chatty and wants to socialize. Thin runny poo at first, now larger size, more frequent and passing normal looking poo, with some stinky content.

Her illlness appears past - except there is a lot of Egg-song like squawking, then only poo instead of eggs, morning and afternoon daily.

This was preceeded a few times - since they all started laying in October - with a few instances of double shell-less eggs on the poo board, and also there has been been large double-yolk brown egg a couple times i think were hers. We lost a 5 Mo. Eggbound RiR to internal laying a few weeks ago...so took more actions sooner with Wiley. idk if the shellless eggs were
Goldies or Wylies or if both laid soft shell/shelless egg combos. I think Wylie because Goldie laid almost daily in the same nest til she became eggbound, and laid internally. None looked like gukky thick lash eggs.

I broke some bones in my arm. Last Saturday, so i can't hold her to try massage or to see if i feel an egg. Can't trim fluff or get to Vent anymore - it looked healthy but dry last Friday. I cant take the Chickens to a Vet whenever something seems off. There are no other pets, and she love the 7 year old girl who quietly visits.

I don't know when to return her outside. I have not seen a herd pussy wad that resembles a lash egg, and nothing this week.
.aside from Egg Song. If she is likely to die, i'd like her to have better days outside, unless she gets chased or pecked a lot...and we are working to make a free-range area safer, as a Coyote, Racoon and Hawk are visitors to our city yard.
.but i fear that more light will increase ovulation. The others all lay almost daily, with no extra light...and she would not have laying box privacy at their favorite boxes.

I'm aware there may be an oviduct or ovary infection, hence the yogurt, an a soup with dried ginger, minced garlic, oregano and thyme powders has been offered as a natural support. She has resisted drinking water most days, so i add it to her food. I guess i just need some support, as some times she seems fine...but egg-bound probably means death. Should i push that issue by moving her back outside with the others - and hope for the best?
Happy to report that Wiley's reproductive system has healed - and she is back to laying often. We are thrilled. I surmise that since Jersey Giants keep growing a long time, the dark hours of winter allowed adequate time for her young stem cells to do the job. Yahoo!
 
11 months old, laying daily - and weather has been heating up in daytimes. I refresh their water often, but the Henhouse water didn't look so good today...and I'm not sure they slept well since 7 9.5 week old chicks are in there the past 2 nites.

Today Wiley is puffed up, resting, isolating and panting a bit.
I gave her a bowl of water with a drizzle of plum vinegar in it, and saw her unsteadiness when trying to take a step., with and drooped wings when she stood. I fear this may be neuro rather than heat or parasites - but I have not been able to do a thorough look over yet. Searching on the symptoms first - and will focus first on her crop - as they have had treats more than 1 time a day - and are snacking on a lot of grass and weeds. They did have wild bird seed treats almost daily this past few months - after their normal diet...since these are the cold months.

A Black Jersey Giant pullet is a large bird. considering using Safeguard with all 6 older Pullets - as they have been foraging and exposed to worms, and slugs a lot lately. Aside from heavy breathing - I do not see other respiratory symptoms...around beak or eyes. Wild birds are everywhere around here. I saw only 1 weird green poo this week, and that is easily explained by increased plant foraging.

I have NOT seen her gaping or head shaking.
I look at their poo lately and see nothing of concern.
NO noticeable smell - from either end.

Since she is down I can't see her backside. I scoop all areas almost daily, while I sing and chat with the girls. The run area is clean and I will be able to see when she poops. (Note - I saw what may be her last poo at last look. will collect it separate and spread now bark chips - as we did a week or so ago. Am recovering from 2 broken wrist bones, but I'll muck out the henhouse, and spray everything with bleach water once the girls have finished laying today. Will spread factory dried hemp bedding....try to sanitize all dishes and get the rest some electrolytes and reduce treats. Natural immunity is a delicate dance. Not everybody makes the transition times without a glitch.

Wiley was among shipped day-old Chicks from Meyer hatchery last Memorial Day...2020. I hatched eggs from N Idaho over 2 months ago - from an AI/NPIP Inspected farm. They have hung out in a tractor near the big girls for over 2 weeks for gradual exposure...yesterday Wiley was trying to teach an Ayam Cemani Cockerel how to eat - while he was showing off raising hackles. She is lowest in the pecking order but has food and water available 24 hours a day, including in the henhouse.

We did have a brief bio-security risk in a 10-minute visit Wednesday - from a Chicken Mama and 2 children who bought 2 Marans from the Feb hatch. The kids ran over to look thru the fence at the big girls who were resting in the shade - but no direct contact. I don't think any microbes could affect her that fast.

Updates below, as I think of things to note.

I need to re-home 2 Cockerels from the Feb hatch - possibly 1 as a breeding pair - so I need to be sure what took Wiley down today. I think I am correct, however what heat and seasonal stress lowered her immunity in a heavy egg-laying season, which for a heavy bird is hard on the heart. Possible that Merek's lesions were present also - I have seen pictures, but am not familiar with assessing that. It is assumed that all flocks are exposed and must build immunity. I will have to inspect all major organs this time. Perhaps photos can help clarify. Will weigh her body also. BJG at 11 months - hefty but still able to fly to/from roosts, and escape chronic bullies.
 
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I’m sorry, but I’m a little confused. Is she currently egg bound? Has this been recurring?
Is a vet an option?
If she has an egg stuck in her, either take her to a vet or look up how to treat it.
 
She showed every sign of being eggbound - and there have been shell-less double eggs several times. 2nd Pullet to have the issue - the first died with internal laying. I've looked up everything on the net i think. Can't do the massage part - and some warn against it...or big Vet bills. I guess looking for opinion if she should stay inside, where it is warm, dark and quiet - but boring - or if i should risk returning her to the flock now that some signs are improved. Poo pix are last couple days...almost normal....and she's eating more.
Ok. If you think she currently has an egg stuck in her, you can soak her in warm water. Also, massaging isn’t a good idea - it can break the egg inside of her.
The last one, of the berries - is that relevant? Did she eat those?
 
Wiley survived the acute phase of being egg-bound, and began normal poos after a week in semi-darkness indoors. She had perked up and seemed desperate to get out to socialize. I still have a broken left paw, so i had one of the guys bring her back to the henhouse, after a week and a half indoors. She's the lowest in pecking order but seems healthy and happy and spends time with us when we are in the coop.
By January, I hoped her insides had healed enough to possibly be able to lay eggs again, but i was not optimistic, since while she was indoors in the dark, she had done a loud egg song most mornings just to pass pellet type material, or poo. I sang softly with her for reassurance.

Since outdoors she has started getting a very red comb, and showed some nest interest, then pale comb, with no sign of actually being in the nest. I have seen some pellet like stuff on the poo board, so i assumed he uterus had headed into a tube which could compact and cook, then pass an egg. Today i find on top of a perching site a gelatinous clear normal size egg-white surrounding a few small poos. Later when i could get a photo - it had been stepped, and albumen was cloudy, but a part yolk is also visible!
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