Egg bound, egg peronitis, or something else?

[showbarnmom]

Bear with me, am posting from my phone.

There are several post in my history, and would copy and paste them, but it would be come a novel.

Yesterday hen who has been sick (marecks, wry neck, moldy feed?) has been making upward progress. Has been hold her tail feathers tucked, has som irritation at the vent area, and is grooming in the area a lot.

26 week old, started laying a week and a half ago. Has laid every othe day till Saturday. Saturday noticed she was off, lehergic, right side body paralysis. (read history please for complete stories and thoughts and treatments). Has been making upward progress since.

Noticed the tail tucking yesterday. Also wags her tail from side to side like a duck. Hen is not walking upright, and haven't felt any lumps around the vent. (will feel again in the morning for sure.) Hen is still have bowel movements, though most are very runny, mossy green in color. And very smelly.

She still fairly weak, but is up walking, flapping wings, and eating a few bites on her own. Am still force feeding roughly 1oz per day of liquid laying crumble, yogurt, egg and electrolytes. Twice daily hen receives two-three drops of polyisol vitamins.

Am going to add some tums tomorrow morning during feeding for calcium, time allowed will also try a warm bath.

Anyone have any thoughts? Egg bound, peronititis, worms, mericks, wry neck?

 

[Judy]

If you are unsure about worms and haven't wormed them, you could try Valbazen, 0.5 ml by mouth each for large fowl, repeat in 10 days. Valbazen treats all types of worms and is relatively gentle on them. (I give it on a bite of bread.) You can order it from Jeffers Livestock or Amazon. I assume you have checked for lice/motes. Usually if a hen is eggbound or has had egg peritonitis for any length of time, you can feel changes in the abdomen ( some swelling, feeling fluid filled) or an egg stuck near the vent for eggbound.

But you don't usually see one sided paralysis with either worms or lice/mites. The only thing that makes me think of, besides a stroke or a tumor, is Marek's.

I hope you figure this out and she gets better.

 

[showbarnmom]

Thank you I will go ahead and worm them. Can I use ivermectin? I have it on hand. Haven't seen any mites.

Original thought was marecks, but wasn't sure. She is recovering, slowly, and there is no changes in her abdomen, I don't feel any masses.

I know in reptiles, their bowel movements generally are not stinky, unless worms are present. Do you feel chickens arethe same?

 

[casportpony]

Have you done a cloacal exam?

 

[showbarnmom]

Have you done a cloacal exam?

Externally, but not internally.

 

[casportpony]

Get some gloves, KY Jelly and gently do an exam..

 

[showbarnmom]

Could you explain what I am feeling for, and how far am I expecting to insert my finger? Rectal exams on dogs and cats are no science for me, even cows and horses. But never done one on a chicken.

 

[showbarnmom]

This is Cherry when we brought her inside

This is her today, out free ranging to get some exercise.

 

[casportpony]

Could you explain what I am feeling for, and how far am I expecting to insert my finger? Rectal exams on dogs and cats are no science for me, even cows and horses. But never done one on a chicken.