EGG YOLK IN HEN'S BUTT - LETHARGIC. HELP!

[MaeM]

This morning I saw my favorite hen in the nest box. But she wasn't able to lay any egg.

She often lays soft shelled eggs and ends up releasing non-solid egg material overnight.

But this is the first time that she is this lethargic. She ate only a little, drank some water. I can see her trying to live normally but something is bothering her.

The worst part is that I saw her trying to poop and she made a weird movement and screamed like it hurt. Only yolk came out of her butt.

I put my finger into her butt and I didn't feel anything, but I'm not very experienced. I just took out some more yolk, and I think I saw a red thing - prolapse-like (she had a prolapse some weeks ago) but it is not visible from the outside.

I don't have access to a vet until at least Wednesday.

What I did so far:

- Warm bath with Epsom salts
- I put antibiotic/analgesic/anti-inflammatory cream inside her butt. This treatment was prescribed by her vet when she had the prolapse.

What I have at home:
- Oxitetracycline but it would be hard to give her that because it is meant to be poured into the water of the whole flock - so, hard to calculate dose for a single bird.
- Injections of dexamethasone - her emergency medication for her chronic "asthma"

I'm super afraid of EYP.

What can I do?

 

[azygous]

Are you a vet or a vet assistant? If not, I would not give her the dex.

For obstruction, calcium each day she's in crisis is the best thing you can give, plus the antibiotic for the broken yolk still lingering in the oviduct. Be patient. Calcium will encourage the contractions to expel the egg remains. She will do a one-eighty when it's all out and return to her normal self. That's when you can stop giving the calcium.

 

[Eggcessive]

Enrofloxacin is a much better antibiotic. If you have the 10% liquid, dosage is 0.25 or 1/4 ml for a five pound chicken given orally twice a day for 5 days.

 

[azygous]

Reproductive infections are more serious than respiratory ones, which can often clear up on their own. Once any yolk is broken inside the oviduct, you must assume bacterial infection is underway. Remember, egg yolk is what scientists use as a growing medium when they want to do bacterial cultures. It's like horse manure is to growing outrageous tomato plants.

Once a reproductive infection takes hold and is not treated, it becomes chronic and much more resistant to antibiotics.

 

[Eggcessive]

Tums and Rolaids for indigestion have calcium. A whole egg shell pulverized a blender or food processor has about a day’s dosage of calcium carbonate.

 

[azygous]

In addition to what @Eggcessive said, steroids, being very powerful drugs, can sometimes interfere with the normal function of organs. Your intention to try to treat possible inflammation could backfire.

If there is inflammation in the oviduct, it would be caused by bacteria, and the best way to treat that would be an oral antibiotic.

 

[azygous]

Put a teaspoon of sugar in her water. Mary Poppins tricks work with chickens, too.

 

[Mayalys]

If she has a habit of soft shelled eggs, one might have broken in before and you might be seeing the results of it (aka an active infection causing further laying issues). I would give the antibiotics for a full treatment. Try mixing the antibiotic with cat food (mine are partial to Purina in gravy because it has little shreds in it).

 

[MaeM]

If she has a habit of soft shelled eggs, one might have broken in before and you might be seeing the results of it (aka an active infection causing further laying issues). I would give the antibiotics for a full treatment. Try mixing the antibiotic with cat food (mine are partial to Purina in gravy because it has little shreds in it).

Yes, I will still be giving her antibiotics for 4-5 days. And depending on her condition, I will take her to the vet.

It's just that it's holidays where I live, that's why I can't take her now, or buy different meds. I have to use what I have at home.

 

[Eggcessive]

Cooked egg, scrambled or boiled and chopped are usually well accepted and the ground egg shells would go in there fine. Canned cat food or tuna are also good to hide things.