So on the 4th of February
my hen laid and egg with no shell however it was still sort of an egg if you know what i mean. It was hard and no squishy or anything and it also had a bit of his ' insides ' on it. I'm not too sure what it was. ( i will attach a picture below ) s
o once he passed that she really perked up and starting acting his normal self again. So its been 2 weeks since that egg and it was the last time she has laid so she hasn't laid a single egg for two weeks. A week after the last shell less egg we took her to the vets. They gave her some metacam and batryil. It did absolutly nothing to be honest she stayed the exact same. I then started to bathe him daily with warm water and epsom salts as well as giving her calcium tablets. she still hasn't perked up and still hasn't laid an egg. I am really worried about her and don't know what to do. All the vet wants to do now is put her to sleep and I'm not willing to give up yet. Any suggestions i would really appreciate.
SYMPTOMS:
Lethargic
Not eating much
Runny and few poos
Not much energy
Hunched up
On his own not with the others How does her abdomen feel - hard, soft, squishy, bloated, fluid filled/
Can you post a picture of how she stands?
From the symptoms you describe she may have an internal laying/reproductive disorder like Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Ascties, Salpingitis, cancer or tumors. Symptoms can include loose droppings, loss of appetite, weight loss, hunched up/penguin stance, swelling of the abdomen from egg matter or fluid in the abdomen, difficulty walking and labored breathing.
Since she did not respond to pain medication and antibiotic treatment (Metacam and Baytril), then most likely supportive care is the best you can do. Offer her some poultry vitamins and some chopped egg or tuna along with her normal feed. Keep her hydrated.
IF you feel like she may have Coccidiosis - then either take a fecal sample to your vet for testing of cocci, worms or bacterial infection or treat her with CORID (Amprolium).
ASK YOUR VET to give the correct medication.
JUST A NOTE - AMPROLIUM (CORID) is not a sulfa based medicine. Amprolium is a anticoccidial drug (coccidostat) that is used to only treat Coccidiosis. Sulfa based drugs (Sulphonamides) have and still are used to treat certain strains of Cocci, but can be used to treat other conditions/illnesses are prescribed by medical professionals. Please do not use a product that is not specified for treatment of illness. Contact your vet for more assistance or check with your local feed store to see what coccidostats are available.
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/2/Coccidiosis Management/46/drugs/
Peritonitis and internal egg laying issues:
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/6-causes-of-chicken-swollen-abdomen.aspx
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/