Egg-bound 6 mo. Old Jersey Giant

[PDXJULES]

Earlier in the day the white part of the small poos were more distinct...so i think this combined mass came from both tubes in one effort...one after the other. I do not have hope that she can form a normal shell and pass it again, and i fear that would kill her. It looks like her body is creating a more gentle work-around. Should i wait longer, or try to switch her ti flock raiser or Chick Starter now?

 

[PDXJULES]

Little update on Wiley...no more weird Poos and she's loving life, and my sweetest girl. Her Comb and Wattles are VERY RED lately, she's looking large and lovely as a BJG should; and she checks out nests when i am around, but i doubt very much she'll be able to complete the laying function again. Hoping tho that her body is absorbing her eggs, or that she can survive until er Molt, when active Stem Cells might heal her Uterus also? Long shot, but I'll let you know.

In a month she'll be introduced to our new Chicks, who are growing super fast! Hope she will be a gentle Auntie to the new flock, since our top Chicks might be jerks. We built 2 large. Adjacent Play- yards over the rainy season...and have a Chick Tractor in the grassy yard. I just need to identify and re-home the purebred Cockerels, in the Portland area.

 

[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.