Hi all,
I have a sick hen, not sure what to do and hoping for some help.
This 4 year old GLW decided to go into molt at the beginning of the month, after laying fine for a few weeks. The day before yesterday she was up and about, and I happened to notice that her bum looked messy, some runny yellowish stuff in her bum feathers, along with poop. I also saw a white bit sticking out of her vent. My first thought was that she'd had an egg that didn't form properly, and that it was a bit of egg membrane. I restrained her and started to gently pull it out, when suddenly another chicken uncharacteristically attacked her. I managed to scoop her up, but then didn't know what had happened to the bit of membrane in the kerfuffle. She seemed fine, so set her back down and didn't give it any more thought.
Yesterday she didn't leave the roost and seemed a little lethargic. I offered her some water, which she drank, but she refused food, even meal worms and BOSS. I gave her a once over, and was surprised to feel what sure feels like an egg in her low abdomen. She's not doing what I've read are classic egg bound signs, like tail flapping and squatting, but she doesn't want to walk.
I brought her in and gave her a 15 minute soak in the kitchen sink, gave her some calcium orally, and spent a few minutes gently massaging her abdomen. Then she went into a crate for a couple of hours. When I went to check on her, she'd pooped, thankfully, but the white part was runny and maybe more yellowish in colour, and the dark part was more dark green and a little mucousy looking. She was thirsty, but still refused food. I brought her out, lubed up my finger with some olive oil, and gently probed her vent to see if I could feel the egg - but I couldn't get it to it. I did find the piece of egg membrane, though, or perhaps a different one? So I soaked her again, which she enjoyed, dried her off, lubed her vent with some more oil, and put her to bed for the night.
This morning is much the same - still no egg, she's pooped a few times and they look the same, drinking but not eating, not really wanting to move.
Is there something else going on here? Anything else I can do for her?
Thank you for the help!!
I have a sick hen, not sure what to do and hoping for some help.
This 4 year old GLW decided to go into molt at the beginning of the month, after laying fine for a few weeks. The day before yesterday she was up and about, and I happened to notice that her bum looked messy, some runny yellowish stuff in her bum feathers, along with poop. I also saw a white bit sticking out of her vent. My first thought was that she'd had an egg that didn't form properly, and that it was a bit of egg membrane. I restrained her and started to gently pull it out, when suddenly another chicken uncharacteristically attacked her. I managed to scoop her up, but then didn't know what had happened to the bit of membrane in the kerfuffle. She seemed fine, so set her back down and didn't give it any more thought.
Yesterday she didn't leave the roost and seemed a little lethargic. I offered her some water, which she drank, but she refused food, even meal worms and BOSS. I gave her a once over, and was surprised to feel what sure feels like an egg in her low abdomen. She's not doing what I've read are classic egg bound signs, like tail flapping and squatting, but she doesn't want to walk.
I brought her in and gave her a 15 minute soak in the kitchen sink, gave her some calcium orally, and spent a few minutes gently massaging her abdomen. Then she went into a crate for a couple of hours. When I went to check on her, she'd pooped, thankfully, but the white part was runny and maybe more yellowish in colour, and the dark part was more dark green and a little mucousy looking. She was thirsty, but still refused food. I brought her out, lubed up my finger with some olive oil, and gently probed her vent to see if I could feel the egg - but I couldn't get it to it. I did find the piece of egg membrane, though, or perhaps a different one? So I soaked her again, which she enjoyed, dried her off, lubed her vent with some more oil, and put her to bed for the night.
This morning is much the same - still no egg, she's pooped a few times and they look the same, drinking but not eating, not really wanting to move.
Is there something else going on here? Anything else I can do for her?
Thank you for the help!!