Egg-bound chicken?

[Georgiachick18]

I certainly will. It also occurred to me that this could be the calcium from the Tums that I gave her showing up in the stool. Yes, learning from others is critical. And it’s so nice when people are willing to share their knowledge. I thought I knew quite a bit about caring for chickens until I was faced with this dilemma! Stay tuned— more to come.

 

[Georgiachick18]

The vet just sees red blood cells in what was expelled. No bacteria discernible at present. So it’s not the Tum’s. Taking home the antibotic to give orally, once per day.

 

[Georgiachick18]

Our hen seems to be perking up a little bit. My question is: how often can you give Epson salt baths and Tums? That seems to be the only way to expell whatever this is out of her system. She’s eating a little bit of her regular food and watermelon. I put her outside in a separate pen in the sunlight today and she nibbled at some grass and seemed to enjoy that. She still is not eating much and has this egg-yolk type of stool. Ultimately, I just want to keep cleaning her out on a daily basis if it’s not doing any harm giving her the Epsom salt bath and the calcium tablets. Thank you for your thoughts!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You should be able to give her a daily soak.
With the TUMS, if you have given them for more than a few days, start reducing those - try 1/2 - see if you still get the same results.

 

[Georgiachick18]

I decided to give her a break tonight and just gave her the antibotic. She’s had a warm Epsom salt bath, nightly. She was eating more of her regular food tonight. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. I will be anxious to see how she does without the warm bath/Tums. The combination has definitely made a huge difference! I’m just wondering if she is an internal layer? If that’s the case, I know that isn’t something that goes away. I have read that spaying is a possible option for a chicken with that issue.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I decided to give her a break tonight and just gave her the antibotic. She’s had a warm Epsom salt bath, nightly. She was eating more of her regular food tonight. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. I will be anxious to see how she does without the warm bath/Tums. The combination has definitely made a huge difference! I’m just wondering if she is an internal layer? If that’s the case, I know that isn’t something that goes away. I have read that spaying is a possible option for a chicken with that issue.

Let me know how she is in the morning without getting a soak.

The antibiotic may be helping her release some of the material that is in her oviduct, but likely that will build back up over time. With something like Salpingitis, it can become like a coagulated mass that will become hard to pass, it finally builds up to where it's pressing on the internal organs or sometimes a hen succumbs to secondary infection.
It's very possible that she may have something in the abdomen as well, reproductive problems are sadly very common in laying hens.
Removing the oviduct and ovaries are very expensive and most hens do not survive surgery. Talk to your vet about any options that may be available to you.

 

[Georgiachick18]

So this morning she seemed pretty perky. She had gone to the bathroom about four times—about the size of a quarter each—overnight. Then throughout the day—the same. Each time the stool is coated with what looks like yellow paint. It’s not your typical stool but seems to be more of a sloughing off of her ‘internal track’ (for lack of the correct medical term). I’m not seeing her drinking —but she eats watermelon like crazy so I’m hoping that she is getting enough fluids that way. And, of course, I am only seeing her for short times during the day; however, whenever I’m around she goes to her dry food and eats. The color is coming back in her cone—it’s still not bright red but definitely not as pale as it was. You can tell that she still is trying to push after she eats (as if to go to the bathroom) because I see her tail move up and down. Right now all I’m doing is giving her the antibiotic. Maybe I’ll try another night without the soak? She still does demonstrate some tiredness because I see her eyes closing from time to time but most of the time I’m around her she seems bright and alert. After all this time it’s definitely not an egg bound situation, correct? Our vet did tell us that in necropsies he’s found chickens that have had three or four eggs lined up that didn’t make their way out. No way to know for sure what’s going on inside of her but she has gotten better and not worse. I think this antibiotic is probably making a significant difference, don’t you?

 

[Georgiachick18]

And, I certainly acknowledge what you wrote above and realize that this may be a short-term fix; I’m just taking it a day at a time and hoping for some sort of a miracle.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So this morning she seemed pretty perky. She had gone to the bathroom about four times—about the size of a quarter each—overnight. Then throughout the day—the same. Each time the stool is coated with what looks like yellow paint. It’s not your typical stool but seems to be more of a sloughing off of her ‘internal track’ (for lack of the correct medical term). I’m not seeing her drinking —but she eats watermelon like crazy so I’m hoping that she is getting enough fluids that way. And, of course, I am only seeing her for short times during the day; however, whenever I’m around she goes to her dry food and eats. The color is coming back in her cone—it’s still not bright red but definitely not as pale as it was. You can tell that she still is trying to push after she eats (as if to go to the bathroom) because I see her tail move up and down. Right now all I’m doing is giving her the antibiotic. Maybe I’ll try another night without the soak? She still does demonstrate some tiredness because I see her eyes closing from time to time but most of the time I’m around her she seems bright and alert. After all this time it’s definitely not an egg bound situation, correct? Our vet did tell us that in necropsies he’s found chickens that have had three or four eggs lined up that didn’t make their way out. No way to know for sure what’s going on inside of her but she has gotten better and not worse. I think this antibiotic is probably making a significant difference, don’t you?

And, I certainly acknowledge what you wrote above and realize that this may be a short-term fix; I’m just taking it a day at a time and hoping for some sort of a miracle.

Oh how I wish I had answers for you

You are doing the very best you can. The antibiotics are probably helping. Watermelon is good if she is not drinking much. You can also try offering her feed wet, she may like that and it will get a little more fluids into her.

Yellow in the stool can be from liver function. I have also seen yellow when my hens have had cancer or reproductive disorders - could be that liver function is failing. But, I have also had them get "better" for a period of time and seemingly be happy with the flock, so if she is still bright, able to move, eat/drink on her own and doesn't seem to be in pain, just take it one day at a time like you've been doing.

You can probably get by with soaking her every few days. Some hens get stressed, but if she enjoys it, that shouldn't be a problem.

Thank you for updating your thread. Please keep me posted.

 

[Georgiachick18]

Wanted to give you an update on Rosie. I put her back in the outside coop today after being in ‘chicken intensive care’ for several weeks. I have her separated from the other chickens so she can become accepted again. I’m not sure how this is going to go. My other Rhode Island Red even tried to attack her through the wire that was separating them. She is so much smaller than the other hens and although she is eating and drinking and acting ‘almost’ like her old self, her cone is still paler than the others and I don’t think she’s at 100%. However, I felt I couldn’t keep her in the garage coop any longer and it was time to be back outside and just watched, closely. Hoping for the best, but still concerned.