Help! Is Queenie Egg Bound?

[mtnchicken]

Our favorite hen Queenie is acting egg bound (lethargic, waddling, swollen bum area) but she's pooping normally and eating normally. This started about 10 days ago right as we were leaving for vacation. The house sitters kept an eye on her and she's just slightly worse than 10 days ago. I'd think for egg binding she would have died while we were away and she wouldn't be pooping normal? She's 4 1/2 years old and has always had really thin shelled eggs or water balloon eggs. We did an epsom salt bath and gave her Tums in her water (had no calcium on hand) she's been eating and pooping normally all day but can barely walk and has labored breathing. We don't have any avain vets around here. Is there anything we can do to help her? We have had chickens for over a decade but never a situation like this so we aren't skilled at any sort of draining or administration of treatment. Only had to push a prolapse in once!

 

[mtnchicken]

Also quick update. She stands up and sort of yawns and stretches her neck and itches her head with her foot. It's almost like a shes about to vomit (can chickens do that?!) but then she walked over to her food and ate?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Can you get a picture of the swelling? Is the swelling in her vent? Is the swelling below more on her belly like a little water balloon?

 

[Eggcessive]

Calcium citrate with vitamin D would be good to give her, 300-600mg daily for a few days. If using Tums, break it into pieces and give it into her beak as you would the calcium. Since she has a history of soft or thin egg shells, she may be egg bound, or suffering from salpingitis (lash egg material.) Cancer is also common. When lash egg material is inside the abdomen, it may become swollen and firm. They also can develop water belly/ascites which can be common in reproductive disorders, cancer, and fatty liver disease. Water belly may cause labored breathing. Most times, we don’t know what causes these problems until after death if we butcher them or do a necropsy. Is her lower belly between the legs enlarged? Is she walking more upright? Is her tail down? What do her droppings look like with a picture? Have you wormed her recently? Crops can become slow and impacted or sour from slow digestion. Check her crop first thing in the morning and tell us how it feels. It sounds like she is adjusting her crop, which if done repeatedly, can be a sign of an impacted crop.

 

[mtnchicken]

Can you get a picture of the swelling? Is the swelling in her vent? Is the swelling below more on her belly like a little water balloon?

It is below her vent. Her vent seems pretty normal (for her). I'll try and get a pic in the morning.

 

[mtnchicken]

Calcium citrate with vitamin D would be good to give her, 300-600mg daily for a few days. If using Tums, break it into pieces and give it into her beak as you would the calcium. Since she has a history of soft or thin egg shells, she may be egg bound, or suffering from salpingitis (lash egg material.) Cancer is also common. When lash egg material is inside the abdomen, it may become swollen and firm. They also can develop water belly/ascites which can be common in reproductive disorders, cancer, and fatty liver disease. Water belly may cause labored breathing. Most times, we don’t know what causes these problems until after death if we butcher them or do a necropsy. Is her lower belly between the legs enlarged? Is she walking more upright? Is her tail down? What do her droppings look like with a picture? Have you wormed her recently? Crops can become slow and impacted or sour from slow digestion. Check her crop first thing in the morning and tell us how it feels. It sounds like she is adjusting her crop, which if done repeatedly, can be a sign of an impacted crop.

Her lower belly between her legs is not enlarged and her tail is upright when she's sitting and down when standing. We did find one last egg once and I assumed it was hers just bc she's never laid good solid eggs. I'll send a pic in the morning of her droppings. But they're solid and not smelly, brown and white. Really normal looking. However we've never dewormed her (or any of our ladies) I honestly didn't know that was a thing until reading through everything today! Should we do that and can I get that at a place like Murdoch's Ranch store? I will check her crop first thing and report back. Thank you!

 

[mtnchicken]

Checked her crop this morning and it was empty. She seems same, no better or worse. Here are pics. She hasn't pooped this morning and so I only got smooshed into the bedding pics. She's been staying in a dog crate.

 

[mtnchicken]

More updates. Queenie is still with us! She hasn't laid since I posted and hasn't gotten better or worse. I keep her on her crate at night then let her out in the yard during the day. Not in the run with the others bc I tried that and they picked on her and she waddles too slow to get away. She eats fine but has started watery poop but could be snacks I've given or she's found in the yard. Does anyone think this will go away or is this her life until she passes naturally? She's 4 1/2.