egg bound or something else?

[FlaChickenMan]

Have 6 backyard chickens, my one RIR is acting sluggish, bent had poo dried up all around her tail feathers. I cleaned her up with warm water and her vent was clear. Felt mo eggs in her abdomen. Poops fine it seems. No other chicken is acting funny. But have had 2 miniature eggs in nest box last few days. They eat organic pellets and treats of old veggies and fruits as well as yogurt/ cottage cheese/ oatmeal/ red wheat berries every few days. He is a pic of her (red on left)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

RIR is acting sluggish, bent had poo dried up all around her tail feathers.

Felt mo eggs in her abdomen. Poops fine it seems. No other chicken is acting funny. But have had 2 miniature eggs in nest box last few days.

Poops fine it seems.

She's pooping? If she is, then she doesn't have an egg stuck low enough to cause a blockage (egg bound). It may still be worth feeling inside the vent for an egg though.

You don't mention her age - acting sluggish with the tail down and laying 2 small eggs, she may have some swelling - you didn't feel eggs in the abdomen (?Vent?) but did you note if the abdomen was swollen/bloated or fluid filled. The small eggs, were they complete with full yolk and white or just the white?

I would check to make sure her crop is empty first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks, look her over for lice/mites and take note if she is beginning to molt.

Some of the symptoms you describe sounds like she is having reproductive problems. Whether she's just having trouble with egg laying, she's going out of lay to molt or if she has something like EYP, it's hard to know.
I would also offer supportive care - vitamins for a couple of days, monitor her heavily to see if she gets better/worse. Get some photos of her poop.

 

[ChickNanny13]

2x I would recommend cutting all treats ... Treats are more for us than doing them any good. All they need is their feed, this I learned thanks to a few BYC members Their feed has all the nutrition they need, too much "treats" will off balance that. It's been said that no more tha 10% of their diet should be "treats".

 

[FlaChickenMan]

She 2yo. No yolks in tiny eggs. Nothing in vent. No mites. Crop clear.

She's pooping? If she is, then she doesn't have an egg stuck low enough to cause a blockage (egg bound). It may still be worth feeling inside the vent for an egg though.

You don't mention her age - acting sluggish with the tail down and laying 2 small eggs, she may have some swelling - you didn't feel eggs in the abdomen (?Vent?) but did you note if the abdomen was swollen/bloated or fluid filled. The small eggs, were they complete with full yolk and white or just the white?

I would check to make sure her crop is empty first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks, look her over for lice/mites and take note if she is beginning to molt.

Some of the symptoms you describe sounds like she is having reproductive problems. Whether she's just having trouble with egg laying, she's going out of lay to molt or if she has something like EYP, it's hard to know.
I would also offer supportive care - vitamins for a couple of days, monitor her heavily to see if she gets better/worse. Get some photos of her poop.

 

[FlaChickenMan]

She's pooping? If she is, then she doesn't have an egg stuck low enough to cause a blockage (egg bound). It may still be worth feeling inside the vent for an egg though.

You don't mention her age - acting sluggish with the tail down and laying 2 small eggs, she may have some swelling - you didn't feel eggs in the abdomen (?Vent?) but did you note if the abdomen was swollen/bloated or fluid filled. The small eggs, were they complete with full yolk and white or just the white?

I would check to make sure her crop is empty first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks, look her over for lice/mites and take note if she is beginning to molt.

Some of the symptoms you describe sounds like she is having reproductive problems. Whether she's just having trouble with egg laying, she's going out of lay to molt or if she has something like EYP, it's hard to know.
I would also offer supportive care - vitamins for a couple of days, monitor her heavily to see if she gets better/worse. Get some photos of her poop.

No molt either.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It wouldn't hurt to get a fecal float just to rule out worms and/or coccidiosis overload.
Most of the time, with mine, I have found when they have similar symptoms to yours, they are struggling with reproductive problems.

I do baby them along for a bit to see if they perk up. I usually direct dose them with poultry vitamins (I use Poultry Cell at 1cc per 3 pounds of weight), monitor them to see if they are eating/drinking, see that the crop is emptying overnight, etc. Sometimes they do perk up and enjoy life for a good while longer. Once they begin to decline again, then I give more supportive care, but if they don't respond or get worse, sadly I cull them. I DO open them up and take a look - unfortunately, I have found reproductive issues with all of them - it's not fun, but it does give me a clue that there was not much I could have done for them.

 

[FlaChickenMan]

Yep. Thanks for the input, all knowledge is a collective thing!

 

[FlaChickenMan]

Ok update...RIR is on the mend. She had stopped eating,drinking and had lost 2/3 weight of other RIR!! Gave 1/4 ml of ivermex injectable orally ( to all 6). Put 9 ml of Remedy Recovery pet wormer (from TSC), which is piperazine citrate in water (5liter water). Took all other water sources away. Withheld food for 12hr. Then fed as normal. Gave meal worms (that i grow). Will do again in 21 days (eggs not killed by meds and hatch in 21 days). Started regimine of DE on food and coop. She now. 48HRS later is not listless, eating meal worms (60% protein) aggressively, drinking better comb still very pale and flopped over (comb is first sign of some problem), but should come back soon. Here is a pic of her now and her sister (well) now. Hopefully she is on the mend. Never saw first worm though. Now cant eat eggs for 14 days after....but dog can and get wormed as well as she lives their droppings!

 

[Sequel]

Oh that’s wonderful! Well done!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad to hear she's doing better!