Help! my chicken stopped laying but keeps trying... not eggbound...

[amyduck]

Hi All,
My ~ 1 year old easter egger chicken stopped laying 5 weeks ago, after a 2-3 day illness where she got really sick but bounced back quickly ( she stopped eating and hardly moved - this was after the same happened to another chicken).
Since then, she goes to the nest box several times each morning, it started with one or two times, now it's up to 3 each morning and I feel so bad for her. I think her abdomen is getting a little larger but I'm not sure... it feels relatively soft, so I can't imagine there is an egg there. The other hen took a while to start laying again, but she did...
Aside from the morning broodiness, she is just fine, eating, alert, running around, etc. Oh, one more thing. She had been having small poops, but now each morning she drops really large wet, but healthy-looking, broody-like poops.
Any suggestions?

 

[MysteryChicken]

I think she started internally laying which is a death sentence over a long period of time.

 

[amyduck]

I think she started internally laying which is a death sentence over a long period of time.

Thanks MysteryChicken, I don't know much about it, but was afraid of that... but how does one know for sure? And does anyone know if given lupron, is there any chance her body could reabsorb the eggs over time?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Thanks MysteryChicken, I don't know much about it, but was afraid of that... but how does one know for sure? And does anyone know if given lupron, is there any chance her body could reabsorb the eggs over time?

I don't know much about it either, but it does cause the abdomen to expand to uncomfortable level, & will cause pressure on her other internal organs over time.

How does her belly feel? Her body won't absorb the eggs if there's an infection.

 

[MysteryChicken]

http://www.scoopfromthecoop.com/laying-issues-internal-layers-and-peritonitis/

 

[amyduck]

She's on the smaller side, so it's a little hard to say... it doesn't seem taught though... but I can't explain why she keeps trying to lay...

 

[amyduck]

Thanks for the link! I actually had another chicken with egg yolk peritonitis... we kept her alive about an extra year by draining her abdomen. This chicken's abdomen doesn't quite feel the same, and she doesn't have the rest of the symptoms in the article...but I'm worried enough about "Blondie" that I did finally decide to take her and another chicken to the bird vet tomorrow afternoon. I'm hoping if it is internal laying and we catch it soon enough - we can do something about it.

The one problem is that I took her to this same vet in December because she was falling on her back all the time and couldn't get up. The vet decided because her eyes are different colors that she has Marek's and said she'd be dead in weeks!

Obviously, Blondie is still with us. She went from falling over about 30 X a day (at the worst!) to fully recovering (after I spent 3 months checking on her at least every hour) and she hasn't fallen since early March! So we'll see if the vet sticks to her guns and say that what Blondie is going through is part of Marek's and that there is nothing to do.... (but then why was she laying everyday until she got sick for those two days?)

In any case, I'll report back tomorrow around this time...

(Unfortunately, between the two chickens, I'm afraid this is going to be expensive... fortunately I've been working from home - so I guess I'll be spending my gas money!)

 

[MysteryChicken]

Illness in a chicken can trigger other problems later on sometimes. I have a Brahma with an immune disorder, that we have to put down. She's not a good layer since she's always sick, & lay puny eggs every other day. I also don't want her to suffer with the disorder she has.

 

[amyduck]

I'm sorry about your Brahma! We'll likely get to that point... but fortunately for now, she runs all over the yard, jumps for treats, talks a lot, comes for snuggles every day, and doesn't appear to be in any pain - yet.
She's been such a little trooper and was raised with one of my other chickens, who will really miss her when she's gone...as will we, since we've spent so much time helping her....

 

[MysteryChicken]

I'm sorry about your Brahma! We'll likely get to that point... but fortunately for now, she runs all over the yard, jumps for treats, talks a lot, comes for snuggles every day, and doesn't appear to be in any pain - yet.
She's been such a little trooper and was raised with one of my other chickens, who will really miss her when she's gone...as will we, since we've spent so much time helping her....

Sometimes the ending of a life is necessary, which also very upsetting.
As long as she's happy, care free you can enjoy her for as long as she's loving life.