Eggbound/Internal layer? *Update- we lost her*

[OrpingtonHopeful]

Quote:
She ate some yogurt with olive oil and had some water with vitamins and then seemed to be in pain. She seems to be shaking a bit and her vent keeps contracting but has NO prolapse or swelling at all. I am sure she is sooooo backed up- She has had two tiny poops in two days. I still have her cozy in a small brooder box under a light and I have the cover mostly on so it's really dim for her.

I even considered an oil enema (mineral oil or olive oil) but I had read a lot of sites that says it can make matters worse and DH won't help me hold her if I do- I really dont want to stress her more.

I have thought about bathing her again, but I really REALLY don't want to stress her- she seems so tender and likely won't make it. I am scared that the more I do, the less I may help her. Ugh, I keep hoping I will smell something foul (fowl? lol!) and go check on her to find her passing a dozen eggs and a week's worth of poop- Seems an odd thing to hope for, eh?!

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

As I posted this I heard an odd noise from her direction and she's in a seated position but eating from the layer pellets and oyster shell I have in with her.....I also still have some fresh butter lettuce from the garden in there- Hoping to soften stuff up....

 

[roxyblue]

It sound like your doing all you can without being invasive.

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

I have been feeding her yogurt and oyster shell- Is is safe to crush human calcium tablets (Citracal) and sprinkle that in her yogurt too?

Tomorrow once the house is quiet (if she makes it), I hope to try another warm bath and was considering adding a crushed tablet- it is calcium and vit D...Thoughts?

 

[roxyblue]

I don't know..... sorry. How is she?

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

Quote:
So I crushed the calcium and she ate it all in yogurt- She hasnt pooped in two days, so I figure try anything- I even tried to feel for the egg

I couldn't feel an egg, but she was scalding hot and her entire inner abdomen was hard. She began to fret so I took her out of the warm bath and put her back in the darkened brooder.

She doesn't like to be held now, and hasn't pooped- I know she is super uncomfortable but her eyes are perky and she stands when she sees us- Also her comb and wattles have excellent color

So now, I was thinking since she has outlived what I thought she would, that maybe I should try an antibiotic.

I think I might be dealing with an internal layer, given the findings on exam- Is is worth it? would I just be prolonging the inevitable?

What causes internal laying?

Ok, so if I try an antibiotic, should I be trying to spike some yogurt? an injection? Where, what kind, how much?

Is there anything else???

Thank you so much for your help and concern!

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

Also, have I been too hasty? Could this be anything else?

I just went to care for my other chickens and found one roosting tail down and found my first egg in weeks- super thin shelled and light in color.

They have oyster shell mixed in their feed- I feed them layer mash pellets- No ACV because we use a galvanized waterer- but fresh water and recently cooked butternut squash, routabaga cooked, cooked broccoli, and yogurt fortified with a dose of no iron baby vitamins.

I feel like these chickens are over cared for and yet are still falling ill- Why?

 

[Tracydr]

I would try Tylan injectable. It sounds like she has peritonitis, which unfortunately, is very bad, even in humans with all our fancy medicines. I believe her bowels are not moving because of the infection.
If you decide to feel for an egg, it's much better to use water soluble KY jelly from the drug store. You could also use this for an enema. A mild, warm water enema with just a drop of soap would be another option.

 

[roxyblue]

You are very brave for trying to feel for an egg. I can say that I have only done that once and it wan NOT a pleasent thing.

I took some time to look up internal laying....Is she in extreme discomfort? does she strain or anything like that? Goodness I would really like to see your poor hen get better!
-you are being a very good chicken mama.


Etited for this:
Actally I found a source that sounds pretty much like what your hen is going through....Sorry!

 

[Minniechickmama]

First, I think you need to back off the additional calcium. You can invite a whole new set of problems with that, especially if you are giving her the other stuff that has calcium.

Next, the hard abdomen without the feel of an egg could very well be worms. How does her comb look? If it is a little on the purplish side, she is sick with something. Worms are a culprit this time of year if it hasn't gotten to winter where you are yet and they have been on range. I would get some dewormer, something you can put right in her crop to make sure she gets enough. It wouldn't hurt to continue the warm baths a couple of times a day too just in case it is eggbound.

If she isn't even pooping and she is eating, there is something that is stopping the poop from coming out. I am not sure you would see that happening with her being eggbound.

good luck.