fat waddling sick chicken

[polp]

One of our hens has become very fat recently. She waddles when she walks and is slow moving. She also reacts more slowly to food. The comb is pale pink and has flopped to one side. She sometimes looks like she's straining to lay an egg or poo, sits and closes her eyes. She is about 3 years old. This has been for maybe 4-5 days. We gave them some calcium in the water but she didn't drink much. Does anyone know what is wrong with her? Another chicken is also sick, sitting very still by herself not eating much. That has happened before to us and she recovered, but I'm worried she won't be as lucky this time. Help!

 

[NYRIR]

Hi and welcome to BYC....would it be possible to get a pic or video of her? It could be a few things....she could be eggbound, she could have layed internally and gotten an infection.....does her rear end and underbelly feel like a balloon full of fluid? How long has it been since she laid an egg?
Do a search on here for treating an eggbound hen, and that would be one place to start....

First thing I would do is separate the two showing any problems.

 

[polp]

I don't know what their rear and underbelly should feel like, but it's mostly firm on the fat one. The other sick chicken actually does feel a bit on the balloony side. None of our three chickens had laid since the 23 December, then yesterday we had 2 eggs. One is probably from our healthy chicken, the other I don't know. I don't think we'll be able to seperate them because we only have one coop and henhouse. I'll try to get a photo on tomorrow.

 

[NYRIR]

ok...

 

[polp]

This is the fat chicken straining to lay/poo



With comb down on this side.


wide-set legs.
When she walks, it's more that she lurches to one side, then the other. Does any of this help? I am going to try research eggbound chickens, maybe it's internal laying (really hope not). Any suggestions?

 

[NYRIR]

She could be eggbound or she could have layed internally...I would start by giving her a lukewarm bath and gently try to lube her vent and see if you can feel an egg in there.There are lots of threads on here on how to help eggbound hens if you do a search.

Try to see if you can feel the egg inside her vent, but be very careful so as not to break the shell....If you can feel it, you may be able to help her pass the egg...

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Welcome to BYC, although I wish it'd been a happier occassion for you ...

I would consider the possibility that you're dealing w/ internal parasites (consider amprolium if it's coccidia, or fenbendazole for worms).

Here's the best article I've seen on egg binding, but it's highly improbable that two hens would suffer this at the same time (unless you had many, many chickens, or course ~'-)

Egg Yolk Peritonitis (EYP) can often be confused w/ the symptoms of egg binding.

Changes in egg production often signal other problems ...

Symptom Possible Cause
Sudden severe drop Newcastle disease; infectious bronchitis; laryngotracheitis;
influenza-A, mycotoxin,
mismanagement (no lights, feed, or water)
Unsatisfactory Infectious coryza; fowl cholera; chronic respiratory diseases; diet
deficiencies; gizzard impaction; fowl pox; hepatitis; lice; mites;
ascarids; capillaria; lymphoid leukosis; coccidiosis; enteritis;
pullorum; fowl typhoid; aflatoxicosis; adenovirus infection; toxins
Egg wrinkled, depigmented Necrotic enteritis; infectious bronchitis
Production pause Epidemic tremor
Poor shell quality Newcastle disease; infectious bronchitis; adenovirus infection; diet
deficiency; T-2 fusariotoxin​

 

[polp]

Thank you both for the advice.
A problem is that our chickens are quite wild. I tried the bath 2 days ago for the fat one and she was very skittish and nervous. She didn't even want to touch the water and tried to get away. I could only get her legs in, and she wouldn't relax. We stayed like that for 5 minutes and then the hen made a break for freedom. The last time our chickens were sick they reacted similarly.
I think Cowcreekgeek may be right that the fat one isn't eggbound or has it together with something else. It has been at least 1 week and a half already of this, and I've read (just on Ask.com

) that they usually only live from 24 hours to a few days. This could maybe be the problem with the other one?

Well I think I will try again for the bath. From that website it says 15-20 minutes with the bum actually in the bath, which will of course be hard but possibly worth it. I was also giving crushed up cuttlefish bone in the water (no pure calcium on hand) and I'll do that again. We're giving worming treatment soon anyway, and that could be part of the problem, especially for the smaller one.

If it is EYP, which I'm beginning to think it could be, what can you do for it? The link had good description of symptoms and scary consequences, but no suggestions on actually dealing with it.
If you know anything about that side of it, pls give me a link or say. Anyway I'll report back later on on how the possible solutions are going.
Thanks

 

[jaybanana]

I think Cowcreekgeek may be right that the fat one isn't eggbound or has it together with something else. It has been at least 1 week and a half already of this, and I've read (just on Ask.com ) that they usually only live from 24 hours to a few days. This could maybe be the problem with the other one?

Not necessarily. I've have a chicken that's been egg bound for almost two weeks. I KNOW she has been egg bound, because shortly after she got sick, I checked in her vent and could feel and see the egg. Nothing I did could help her get it out, and I realised that she is laying internally, she has a big fluid ballon on one side. She does what you mentioned, occasionally looks like she's tryin to lay or do a big poo! As long as she is happy in her little isolated box/pen, I'll let her go, but as soon as she seems to be in pain or struggling to breathe ill euthanize her. if it was just the problem of egg binding I would consider breaking the egg as a last resort.

And it might not be the same for your chicken, but the first signs my chicken showed was limping, that waddling walk you mentioned

 

[polp]

well I have done the bath now, strangely enough this time I had almost no problems, the fat chicken stayed in there of her own accord for maybe 15-20 minutes. She struggled a bit at the start but afterwards seemed to enjoy it. This time I got her belly and bum in. Unfortunately no results (as in egg coming out or further) so far as I can see. Still it's a start. The smaller one may get one tomorrow. I hope neither are internal layers!