Help! Hen with swollen, firm belly

[azygous]

250mg per day for ten days.

 

[GrandmaJr]

Update on Coco:

I gave her some meloxicam (an NSAID painkiller that I had leftovers of from when another one of my hens had surgery for bumblefoot) last night and put her to bed. This morning I fully expected to find her dead in her cage but she had actually improved! She was looking much perkier and she was interested in eating and drinking. I gave another dose of meloxicam and a dose of calcium, like @azygous said above.

I don’t have easy access to antibiotics because I live in Canada- those things are tightly controlled and you can only get them from doctors and vets with a prescription. You can’t even find it OTC for fish. Anyway, my aim was to just make Coco more comfortable and in less pain, and that painkiller/anti-inflammatory medication seemed to work. Her belly is still swollen but I’m going to try the calcium to hopefully trigger her to expel an egg.

Turns out the chicken vet I have used in the past is on vacation this week, but if Coco is comfortable that buys me a few days and I might be able to get the vet when they come back. If not, I am sure I’d be able to take her to a vet to be euthanized humanely. I will update this thread as events transpire. Thank you again for your help, @azygous! Much appreciated. The calcium suggestion has given me hope.

 

[azygous]

If she does survive to see the vet, ask for an antibiotic in case whatever her obstruction is has caused bacterial infection. I'm dealing with two hens with this issue right now. Calcium is fine to clear the obstruction, but there is always the danger of infection. If the hen doesn't survive, you have an antibiotic to tuck away for the next time this happens.

 

[GrandmaJr]

If she does survive to see the vet, ask for an antibiotic in case whatever her obstruction is has caused bacterial infection. I'm dealing with two hens with this issue right now. Calcium is fine to clear the obstruction, but there is always the danger of infection. If the hen doesn't survive, you have an antibiotic to tuck away for the next time this happens.

Yes, surviving that long is the biggest question. I’m sorry to hear you’re dealing with this yourself right now! Do egg-bound hens always have pale comb and wattle? Because Coco’s are dark red, possibly with purple at the tips of the comb but I think that could also be some frostbite. I have some leftover antibiotics in tablet form from my cat but they’re not amoxicillin- they’re Metronidazole 100mg.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Uncooked beans and lentils contain a compound called phytohaemagglutinin. This compound is poison to chickens. Cook the beans to destroy the compound and then you can feed them to your flock.

Swelling behind the legs idicates either fat deposits or possible reproductive infection. It can also be cancer of the reproductive system.

Your hen appears to be very sick, and her future doesn't appear optimistic. However, on the chance this could be a stuck egg, I suggest a calcium tablet just in case. You might also want to try to locate an oral antibiotic in case this is a bacterial infection that might be treatable. https://www.kvsupply.com/item/aqua-mox-250mg-capsules-100-count/P06184/

Azygous, would you please answer something for me? I’ve been feeding my chickens sprouted lentils that are fermented. They seem fine, but i’m assuming this is equally as bad?

 

[azygous]

No. Sprouted lentils are fine. It's the dried, unsoaked, uncooked lentils that contain the toxin.

 

[azygous]

Sprouting releases enzymes that break down the toxin.

Pale comb often indicates hormonal activity has slowed. It can be associated with reproductive disorders but not always.