Good layer suddenly "off" -- time-sensitive

[cate1124]

My 4-year-old Easter Egger, Toi, is abruptly "off." She has been seeming and laying well; I think she last laid 2-3 days ago. Last night she was briefly in the nest box before perching -- a bit odd. This morning she was very slow off the perch, and she is just not herself. She did not lay yesterday, and because she was in the nest box briefly at an odd hour, I palpated externally this morning (eggbound?) but did not feel an egg. She is off feed and water, and uncharacteristically sedentary. I gave calcium citrate/D3 just in case of eggbinding, and though she sat the nest for awhile, she did not produce an egg. I did find, protruding from her cloaca, the material pictured below, which appears and feels like semi-hard twisted shell material. It is about 1.25 inches long. It is not a lash egg.

It was very hot yesterday, and of all my hens, Toi is must heat-sensitive. She lays large eggs for a relatively small, slender hen, but has had no trouble before. I had an old hen die of confirmed heart disease in the nest box a month ago, after which smelly material drained from her crop. I removed dirty and wet straw and replaced with clean, but did not wash or sanitize the box and wonder if an ascending bacterial infection related to that crop drainage is possible. Kicking myself.

My wonderful mobile poultry vet will come this afternoon, but I would appreciate any thoughts to better exhaust possibilities while she is here. Thank you.

 

[2ndTink]

Was your vet able to help you? I am just getting time to peruse BYC, I wish I had seen it earlier to try and help you.

 

[cate1124]

Was your vet able to help you? I am just getting time to peruse BYC, I wish I had seen it earlier to try and help you.

It's thoughtful of you to respond now; thank you.

Yes! Toi is much better. She may have improved on her own, but I'm glad I didn't bet on that. My vet is so good with chickens. She also did not find a bound egg, nor -- thankfully -- did any egg matter (indicating an egg broke internally) emerge upon internal exam and flushing. She hypothesizes that the little piece of twisted shell pictured above may have been residual from a prior egg and caused an infection, or some other laying hiccup, given Toi's age and heat. Anyhow, Toi will be on Meloxicam for at least a few days and Clavamox at least a week, along with daily calcium for a week to make sure she pushes out anything else that could cause trouble. She is behaving near normally this morning and I am seeing her eat. Greatly relieved, as she is my favorite among my "youngsters," very sweet and affectionate. (My favorite elder, a buff Orpington, just turned 10! My first double-digit hen.) Attaching a photo of Toi doing her impression of Asian jungle fowl a couple years ago.

 

[2ndTink]

I'm so glad she's doing better! I wish we had a poultry vet around here, the closest I have is BYC.

Wow, a 10 year old hen, that's awesome!

She does a wonderful Asian Jungle fowl impression

 

[Eggcessive]

That object looked like a strip of egg membrane. The antibiotic and meloxicam may help, but if she gets weak and lethargic again, I would give another dose of calcium citrate after 24 hours. It can be given daily for 7 days.

 

[cate1124]

That object looked like a strip of egg membrane. The antibiotic and meloxicam may help, but if she gets weak and lethargic again, I would give another dose of calcium citrate after 24 hours. It can be given daily for 7 days.

Thanks. My vet said exactly that, to give the calcium citrate for 7 days, so you're spot on. I'll continue the Clavamox at least that long, may quit the Meloxicam if she doesn't seem to need it. I appreciate your response!

 

[cate1124]

I'm so glad she's doing better! I wish we had a poultry vet around here, the closest I have is BYC.

Wow, a 10 year old hen, that's awesome!

She does a wonderful Asian Jungle fowl impression

Thanks so much! Toi's slender with relatively large wings, so she can get some loft. She's a very sweet girl. I'm glad she seems to be on the mend.

I'm so lucky to have found this livestock/chicken vet as I wind down my poultry keeping days. She helped me with end-of-life for two elders in April and May; she is knowledgeable, patient, compassionate -- everything you'd want in a chicken doc -- and affordable considering she is coming to me, which is so much easier on the chickens. I wish everyone had access to such a vet; I generally have not, either, so I empathize with you.

Thanks for your concern!