Help - I think my chicken is dying and miserable

[ten chicks]

Thank yall so much - so two days ago when we gave her a warm soak - I did put a glove on and do that (ick!) but she had been going downhill so i thought well, it's worth a try.. I coudlnt' feel anything obvious, thought I"m not 100% sure I did it right either! we dried her off with a hair dryer so she wouldnt get chilled.. and now she is pretty much immobile hanging out under a heat lamp

What do the tums do? I worry we are prolonging her misery at this point.. but I want to make sure and give her a good chance of turning around too- we had one that turned around, though she wasn't to this point (legs behind her now under neath her and she acts blind or something strange)..

From what I read if she is egg bound or broken egg they say they die within 48 hours, but this is going on 3 weeks of steady slow decline - though all after the broken egg and she looked like she was trying to pass one for days and days after that.. is she just slowly getting septic you think?

I appreciate yalls help!

Could be peritonitis which is usually fatal. Yes,if egg bound they do die rapidly without intervention. Tums or calcium tablets contain calcium,which helps pass egg in egg binding,usually works in about 1 hour.

 

[ten chicks]

Do your girls have access to oyster shells or crushed egg shells to boost calcium?

 

[bny806]

tenchicks - is that putting on a glove and seeing if there is egg inside?? I did do that during her warm bath a couple of days ago.. I didnt' feel anything obvious (though I am new at this, so who knows if i did it right?) Her vent is swollen appearing and she seemed tender when I palpated around there, but I coudlnt' feel anything to get out or anything.. She looks so miserable!

 

[bny806]

thank you tenchicks!!! No, they free range, and we give treats - higher protein when it's cold... but no shells or obvious calcium supplements.. is that good to do on a regular basis to prevent this? Interesting that TUMS would help expel the egg! What is the physiology behind that I wonder? THANK YOU! I will see if she will take a tums, at this point I think anything is worth a try, as I just cant' see how she will bounce back from this mess

 

[ten chicks]

thank you tenchicks!!! No, they free range, and we give treats - higher protein when it's cold... but no shells or obvious calcium supplements.. is that good to do on a regular basis to prevent this? Interesting that TUMS would help expel the egg! What is the physiology behind that I wonder? THANK YOU! I will see if she will take a tums, at this point I think anything is worth a try, as I just cant' see how she will bounce back from this mess

Laying hens require extra calcium in the form of oyster shells or crushed egg shells(feed them back their egg shells). When they do not have access to extra calcium,the calcium is taken from their own bones to form eggs. This might be one reason you are having egg issues(broken eggs,egg bound,internal laying etc).

I have oyster shells/crushed egg shells in a container that my girls have access to daily.

 

[bny806]

Ok, great, that is good to know!! I had no idea.. we have grain for them, and then they free range most of the day.. I guess I always figured nature would work out in that way and they would be fine... Do the chickens actually eat the shells?? Where do you purchase the oyster shells? THanks!

 

[ten chicks]

Ok, great, that is good to know!! I had no idea.. we have grain for them, and then they free range most of the day.. I guess I always figured nature would work out in that way and they would be fine... Do the chickens actually eat the shells?? Where do you purchase the oyster shells? THanks!

Yes,they love the shells,some just wash out shells,air dry and feed them to hens. I never wash my shells,but i do put them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes,search forum everyone has their own way of feeding shells back to hens. Don't crush the shells up too fine,the girls love to break them up themselves.

Oyster shells can be found at livestock/feed stores,ask a staff member they will show you where they are.

 

[bny806]

Thank you! Now, will feeding them their own shells somehow give them an affinity for their eggs and therefore peck and break their eggs in the coop??


So, this morning she still looks awful, but a little more perky than yesterday and she is eating a ton still... she is just sitting by the food eating... though she hasn't been able to leave the coop to free range the past 3 days.. her legs are underneath her again and wings tucked in again too, which is good.. though she still looks sick! These chickens have amazed me so many times.. so we shall see.. I just don't want her to suffer..

 

[Jchicken311]

Is she eating and drinking?

 

[bny806]

she sure is... she will get between the water and the food, thats about all she moves.. but I know with our other chicken that got really sick, she didnt' eat or drink for days.. she turned around and was fine... which was shocking.. I have been shocked that our girl now has continued to eat and drink despite otherwise looking awful