Egg-bound 6 mo. Old Jersey Giant

[PDXJULES]

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!

 

[PDXJULES]

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.

 

[PDXJULES]

I went out to give her electrolytes - and heard a loud egg song i recognized to be from ACME, our other Jersey Giant - who was out in the run hollering for me and the world to hear. I saw shiney black feathers saw Wiley had moved a bit - but her heart clearly gave out and she was still warm but expired near the lattice fence. Several other hens had gathered to check out the distress call. I asked the other Chickens to go away, which they did quietly, as I lifted a very heavy limp Wiley to a cool area, for exam and later necropsy.

EXAM - part 1 - and thoughts.

Blinking back tears, the initial exam showed no external parasites.

Feathers still glossy - but keeping her way too warm i think.

Under her tail feathers was a white sticky goo - and she had no major discharge the days before. One of my brown layers had laid twice in 24 hours, but I thought it to be a Barred Rock as 2 eggs were speckled - and I think only my top hen does that. 1 had purple dots, another white. I will focus on the repro system for the basic necropsy - probably tomorrow. She had not lost weight recently and seemed very heavy when I lifted her. I hope she didn't find something to eat the other may have gotten into while digging yesterday. More likely a reproductive system infection that proved fatal after heavy laying and hot days and some cold nights may have added extra stress. Being lowest in pecking order really sucks sometimes. Being chased by others isn't good for anyone.

 

[dawg53]

Sorry for your loss of Wiley.