eggbound or not eggbound?

[PrettyCoolChicks]

3 days ago, she has a poopy butt again, I figured she's not dust bathing because of the rain (again!), but then she tried to sleep in a nesting box two nights in a row, so the second time I looked her over, and noticed her crop and abdomen were firm. I took her in the house to check that her crop emptied (and forgot to remove all food before bed, but it was definitely smaller in the morning).

I also noticed her lower abdomen is quite firm and swolen, checked the forums and ended up on the egg binding quick guide https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/quick-guide-to-treating-egg-binding.66043/

I think that fit the bill of early egg binding (dirty from diarhea, she still moves and eats but reduced apetite, she stands idle in a corner a bit fluffed up maybe). She still poops though, and I read elsewhere egg bound hens don't poop at all, so now i'm not sure of my diagnosis anymore and could use a second opinion - if anyone here recognizes the symptoms or thinks it's actually something else.

Anyway, so far, I started giving her tums (750mg calcium carbonate) half yesterday, whole today cause I finally figured out how to pop one in her mouth. She drank a half cup of water and ate half a scrambled egg each day (with a bit of milk, olive oil and poultry vitamin mix). I gave her daily epson salt bath and sprayed her vent with a bit of olive oil. For now, my plan is to continue with this and keep her comfortable.

I'm also counting eggs in the coop now that she's out of it to confirm if she was the hen that didn't resume laying after her winter break (only been getting 5 daily eggs from 6 hens), but I'm not 100% sure yet.

Do the baths need to be more frequent?
Is calcium carbonate ok or do I need to find calcium citrate somewhere somehow?
Anything else this could be, that I should rule out? and how?
First time dealing with this situation so I'd welcome any additional tips.

 

[Debbie292d]

She sure does look like she could be egg-bound, but you're right, usually they can't poop so all that comes out is liquid.

The Tums will work. One per day for a few days.

Otherwise, you can find the Calcium Citrate +D at any drug store or Walmart, and the same, one per day.

Has she ever been wormed? Mites can also take a chicken down too, but you'd have probably noticed them by now from the Epsom salt baths.

Probiotics would help if she's got digestive problems.

 

[RedHillChicken]

3 days ago, she has a poopy butt again, I figured she's not dust bathing because of the rain (again!), but then she tried to sleep in a nesting box two nights in a row, so the second time I looked her over, and noticed her crop and abdomen were firm. I took her in the house to check that her crop emptied (and forgot to remove all food before bed, but it was definitely smaller in the morning).

I also noticed her lower abdomen is quite firm and swolen, checked the forums and ended up on the egg binding quick guide https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/quick-guide-to-treating-egg-binding.66043/

I think that fit the bill of early egg binding (dirty from diarhea, she still moves and eats but reduced apetite, she stands idle in a corner a bit fluffed up maybe). She still poops though, and I read elsewhere egg bound hens don't poop at all, so now i'm not sure of my diagnosis anymore and could use a second opinion - if anyone here recognizes the symptoms or thinks it's actually something else.

Anyway, so far, I started giving her tums (750mg calcium carbonate) half yesterday, whole today cause I finally figured out how to pop one in her mouth. She drank a half cup of water and ate half a scrambled egg each day (with a bit of milk, olive oil and poultry vitamin mix). I gave her daily epson salt bath and sprayed her vent with a bit of olive oil. For now, my plan is to continue with this and keep her comfortable.

I'm also counting eggs in the coop now that she's out of it to confirm if she was the hen that didn't resume laying after her winter break (only been getting 5 daily eggs from 6 hens), but I'm not 100% sure yet.

Do the baths need to be more frequent?
Is calcium carbonate ok or do I need to find calcium citrate somewhere somehow?
Anything else this could be, that I should rule out? and how?
First time dealing with this situation so I'd welcome any additional tips.

By no means am I an expert, but have you seen any lash eggs? There is a reproductive tract disorder called salpingitis that has symptoms such as: lash eggs, legarthic, not eating, tail down, discolored comb (bluish color), yellow discharge, swollen belly. The picture shows some yellowish discharge in her poop, and her comb looks discolored. Please post more pics of her poop, her stomach, her comb, and keep us informed of her condition. Thanks!
@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock
@coach723

 

[PrettyCoolChicks]

I've not seen any lash eggs from my girls before (I've seen some photos on this forum). I did wonder if she could be egg-bound from a lash egg, but I can only be sure once it comes out.

This morning, her tail is horizontal rather than up, wings also a bit droopy. Her comb is red and looks healthy to me.

I did think to myself maybe her poop was yellow-er/light beige maybe from eating only scrambled eggs. I've attached a photo of what she pooped overnight (conveniently all in one splot).

Bottom one is as most were since I took her in, top pale one is a first - I was actually taking the photo before seeing this last message to ask about that. Not sure if only urates or white from the tums - like when dogs eat bones their poop gets whiter?

I don't think they have mites, both from bathing her and I butchered a rooster last weekend which had a clean bill of health, but I can take a closer look at the coop/roosts.

I've never dewormed my chicken until now.

I'll go get more photos of her.

 

[PrettyCoolChicks]

I got a front / side / back view for posture.

Her comb has a pinprick pecking injury (small black dot at the tip above her eye) but other than that looks normal to me.

There's still a small amount of hard poop that didn't fully come off since the first bath, and some feathers are coated in olive oil by now.

Any thoughts?

 

[RedHillChicken]

I got a front / side / back view for posture.

Her comb has a pinprick pecking injury (small black dot at the tip above her eye) but other than that looks normal to me.

There's still a small amount of hard poop that didn't fully come off since the first bath, and some feathers are coated in olive oil by now.

Any thoughts?

I will be interested in hearing what the 3 experts I mentioned have to say. Are the pictures taken after a bath? Does she feel like she has swelling in the rear stomach area? Not having any yellowish discharge is good. Please keep us informed of any change in eating, poop, comb color, energy level.