Egg bound?

[kyleen]

She’s got a poopy butt and now she’s shaki her head around. Almost like she’s convulsing. Droopy wings and a hard ball on the left side of her chest. Please help.

 

[guineapeeps]

She’s got a poopy butt and now she’s shaki her head around. Almost like she’s convulsing. Droopy wings and a hard ball on the left side of her chest. Please help.

Some of your symptoms could indicate being egg bound, but the hard ball on the side of her chest does not. How long has your hen had these symptoms? Has she been eating and drinking normally? Do you have any other chickens that are sick? Any abnormal poop or any other info you can share?
Here is is some good info on symptoms and treatment for egg bound hens FYI:

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms/

https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/egg-bound-chicken/

 

[kyleen]

I actually think it’s water belly now. Her belly is also squishy and when I Picked her up, she had a clear and then brown liquid come out. I don’t think she’s going to make it.

 

[Birdie mom]

She’s got a poopy butt and now she’s shaki her head around. Almost like she’s convulsing. Droopy wings and a hard ball on the left side of her chest. Please help.

All the symptoms are pointing to her having a impacted crop. (FYI the crop is that ball on her chest that holds her food before it enters the stomach ).

An impacted crop means that the crop has become so jamed full of alien substances that food can't get out properly.

Sometimes food can spill out of the crop and into the trachea, causing aspiration, which can be fatal. This might be the reason she is shaking her head, because she is trying to shake up the food in her lungs.

How long has she been this way? If it has been for a while there could be a seriously impacted crop.

Has she been eating? If she is take her food away for the night. Leave her alone and in the morning, if her crop is still hard, she has an impacted crop. If not then she must have some other problem.

Try to get her to drink some olive oil or eat some frozen coconut oil. Get her to eat as much as you can. Once she is done eating, gently massage her crop to try to get things moving. Also give her lots of fluids, force it into her is need be. Dipping her beach into a water cup will do the trick.

If none of these tips work and the hen is on the verge of dying you may have to do surgery. Is a vet available to you? If not you will have to do it yourself. Here is a helpful article: https://www.greenwillowhomestead.com/blog/how-to-operate-on-your-chickens-impacted-crop

I'm not sure if this is what it is. I think it is but I'm not sure. Good luck![/QUOTE]

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I agree sounds like severely impacted crop not egg binding.

Egg binding isn't shaking the head or hard round ball in the crop. Egg binding is walking like a penguin with an obvious obstruction in the vent (you can feel the egg).

Squishy stomach is worrisome. That is fluid build up called ascities. Often that means liver or heart failure. Could be some of the fluid from the sour crop.

She needs to be moving that crop food asap or you will be losing her. Olive oil droppered in can help. Also a bit of molasses.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour/

LofMc

 

[Birdie mom]

Oh no! I just saw your post @kyleen. Fingers crossed she makes it through this !

 

[guineapeeps]

Hoping she makes it as well!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

5 year old sex link mix. She usually lays HUGE eggs

Droopy wings and a hard ball on the left side of her chest.

I actually think it’s water belly now. Her belly is also squishy and when I Picked her up, she had a clear and then brown liquid come out.

When is the last time she laid an egg? I would feel inside the vent to make sure there's no egg stuck.
Is she pooping? What's that like?

The hard ball - On the left or right side of her? Picking up and liquid coming out - I would treat her for Sour Crop. The best information I've found AND followed with success is this one https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Often I have found crop issues are a symptom of an underlying condition. In older laying hens that have a squishy belly, droopy wings and purpling of the comb - I would suspect a reproductive disorder. Feel inside her vent to make sure there is no egg stuck.
She's always laid huge eggs - so egg binding is a possibility.
If she's got another issue like Egg Yolk Peritonitis, cancer, Salpingitis, etc. the inflammation from one of those can cause the digestive process to slow which results in the crop not emptying, possibly fluid in the abdomen and pressure on the air sacs/lungs and/or organs resulting in reduction of oxygen (purple comb).

I'm very sorry about your hen. Sometimes I've been able to give them supportive care (treating symptoms as they arise) and they pull through for months. Other times, no matter what I've tried I ended up putting them out of their misery. Sadly, there is no cure for reproductive issues.

 

[kyleen]

I believe she’s laid an egg in the last couple days. Not 100% sure. Her poop is white and watery. No worms in it though that I can see. The liquid coming out of her mouth is clear or brown yellow tinted. No smell.
After she purged a good deal of liquid, the color in her comb started to return. But then she started picking up her back leg when she walked and stumbled around a bit. I just don’t know.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I believe she’s laid an egg in the last couple days. Not 100% sure. Her poop is white and watery. No worms in it though that I can see. The liquid coming out of her mouth is clear or brown yellow tinted. No smell.
After she purged a good deal of liquid, the color in her comb started to return. But then she started picking up her back leg when she walked and stumbled around a bit. I just don’t know.

Look up how to treat impacted crop. I’m 90% sure, from your description, she has this.