Egg Bound, maybe? - deteriorating quickly!

[Austin Chichens]

Hi everyone,

Please help!!!!!

1) 2 year old buff orpington hen, Hortensia - biggest, happiest girl in my flock
2) Found her immobile and poofed up after dark, in the run and not with her sisters on the perch in the coop, surrounded by poop and with clear, odorless liquid coming out of her vent
3) I saw her last at 12:30pm today and she was happy/healthy - came home at 7pm and went to close coop and found her missing, so max 7 hours.
4) No other birds have these symptoms
5) She can stand briefly, but just wilts down and practically lays on her side with her eyes closed
6) Don't have any idea what could have caused the situation - have been monitoring the birds carefully because its cold and some are molting
7) No interest in food or water
8) Poop - what little of it there is looks runny
9) I have soaked her in warm water with epsom salts 3 X, based on the assumption that she is egg bound - but she appears to be too weak to push or do anything - I used gloves and KY to try and see if I could locate the egg - I think I feel something, but can't find the opening to the oviduct, but can't find it
10 ) I don't think there is a vet who can take her - would like to treat myself, but honestly not sure
12) They live in a big coop with a dirt floor and elevated, enclosed nesting box and perch area. They get let out to free range in half the yard (yard is .33 acres) under two old pecan trees. they have access to leaf piles, brush piles, fire wood pile. They get soy free layer from Coyote Creek and water and treats (yogurt because of the molting and meal worms, which I raise myself)

Is there a chance this isn't egg binding? If so what could it be? She went downhill SO fast - in less than 7 hours and I'm not sure shes gonna make it through the night. I think she is too tired to push and she won't eat or drink. My fiance is out of town and no one I know can help me with this. What options, besides salt baths do I have? Please, help....she is my baby and I feel so helpless and don't know what else to do.

Michelle

 

[mg15]

For now, bring her in, keep her warm. Give electrolyes with a syringe via mouth, (no needle on the syringe)
Hopefully, when BYC watchers see this, they will respond.

 

[Austin Chichens]

Hi,

Thanks for responding! She is in a basket with a blanket in my living room. I bought a syringe, but have heard that if you don't do it right, you could cause the chicken to aspirate on whatever fluid you give it - any advice on how to administer th eelectrolytes? also, what do you use for electrolytes? a salt/water combination?


Thanks

 

[mg15]

Sugar Water
WebMD has a similar recipe, but recommends using sugar instead of the agave nectar.
•1 quart of water
•2 tablespoons of sugar
•½ teaspoon of baking soda
•½ teaspoon of table salt
•¼ teaspoon of salt substitute (potassium-based), such as Lite Salt or Morton Salt Substitute
In any case, the general idea is to enhance the water with sodium, potassium, and natural sugar, which will help your body to absorb water more quickly.

Other potential ingredients include honey, which provides glucose and helps your body with mineral absorption.

Get as close to this recipe as you can.
Also, if you have a 1 cc syringe just dropping the water into her beak will be okay. Don't squirt just drop. Same with a 3 or 5 cc syringe. No need to fill up the whole 5 cc, just half. That way you won't slip and squirt all of it. Keep up the dropping water into her mouth. She needs fluids. You could sit with her on your lap and keep up the fluids that way. If she is eggbound, take her to a vet asap. She really does sound quite ill.

 

[Austin Chichens]

Thanks - I will start doing that right away. I am in the process of looking for vets in my area that work on chickens - hopefully they will have an opening in the morning.

Thanks again

 

[mg15]

You have an emergency, be sure to tell them it is emergent. The gal at the desk won't know.
I had to make many many calls until I found a vet who was willing to see Whispers.
He told me, 'well she is a bird" and he had seen birds.
Your girl is a good girl.

 

[castvania]

I had a similar issue about a month ago, that turned out to be a broken egg stuck inside

Symptoms for me were watery clear poop (Due to not eating) and just staying in her egg laying area.


What i did was give her a 30 min warm bath, gave her bottom a clean, me and my wife took turns holding her, she got relaxed to a point she had a bit of a nap
From there, i was able to ascertain a broken egg was stuck as i was able to remove bits of shell. She slept on my wifes lap, i managed to sneak a bit of yogurt in her, and we put her to bed in a cat carrier overnight.
Next morning i gave her another bath, donned the gloves and out fell the shell.

I would also check for impacted crop, see if you can massage the area which may cause her to expel more fluids.

Good luck and keep us updated

 

[Austin Chichens]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all of your help. I tried the warm bath a few times and also tried to see if I could remove anything manually, but couldn't find anything despite multiple efforts. I think she was already too weak to push when I found her despite hydrating her and keeping her inside. She managed to make it until 7:15 this morning, but died en route to the pet and bird hospital. I'm going to keep an eye on the others, just in case it wasn't egg binding. She was the talkiest lil thing, my Hortie, and it sure is quiet in my coop this morning. Thanks again for everyone's help.

Michelle

 

[ten chicks]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all of your help. I tried the warm bath a few times and also tried to see if I could remove anything manually, but couldn't find anything despite multiple efforts. I think she was already too weak to push when I found her despite hydrating her and keeping her inside. She managed to make it until 7:15 this morning, but died en route to the pet and bird hospital. I'm going to keep an eye on the others, just in case it wasn't egg binding. She was the talkiest lil thing, my Hortie, and it sure is quiet in my coop this morning. Thanks again for everyone's help.

Michelle

My condolences,heartbreaking when a beloved pet dies. She may have been egg bound or she may have had egg peritonitis. For future reference if egg bound along with the warm baths give a calcium or tums tablet,this sometimes helps with passing the egg.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss. Like ten chicks says, calcium will help most that are eggbound. Since I've figured that out I've added liquid calcium to my first aid kit. You can get it at feedstores like TSC.


-Kathy