HELP! Nobody responded to my last post

[Rocky_chickenmama]

please help! My last post I was unsure why my hen isn’t well. I’m thinking vent gleet or egg bound. But I haven’t received any feedback.

I tried yogurt/ACV/wheat germ. And I’ve done one epsom soak. But it is getting hotter and hotter (97+ F) and she is panting so I decided to bring her in the house. I have her in a dog crate in our dark bathroom. Fresh water, feed with yogurt and oyster shells and pine shavings.

She has not moved from the same spot in the crate and is now panting so bad since I brought her in 25 mins ago.

I brought her in to relieve the heat stress but I’m wondering if this stress is even worse for her. It’s supposed to be 109,109,106,100 the next few days and she’s already battling with something else. I’m lost! Please help!

 

[Pyxis]

From the behavior you describe in your other post of her pushing and trying to pass something, it sounds like she could be egg bound. First, can you get to a farm store like TSC? Giving calcium gluconate to an egg bound hen can help them pass the egg, so I would pick some up ASAP if you can. Here is a link describing the dosage to give:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/calcium-gluconate.1103109/post-16974694

It is easier to get them to take it if you can tube feed it, so if you don't have supplies for that you may also want to pick some up. You can use aquarium tubing from a pet store and a syringe should be available at the farm store. I can teach you how to tube if you'd like.

She may also be overexerted and overheated from straining so much in the heat. I would try to get her to drink some water with electrolytes. You can also pick up electrolytes at the feed store, or you can offer some pedialyte.

You can check to see if you can feel a stuck egg by gently and carefully feeling inside her vent. Often a stuck egg can be felt.

 

[Rocky_chickenmama]

From the behavior you describe in your other post of her pushing and trying to pass something, it sounds like she could be egg bound. First, can you get to a farm store like TSC? Giving calcium gluconate to an egg bound hen can help them pass the egg, so I would pick some up ASAP if you can. Here is a link describing the dosage to give:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/calcium-gluconate.1103109/post-16974694

It is easier to get them to take it if you can tube feed it, so if you don't have supplies for that you may also want to pick some up. You can use aquarium tubing from a pet store and a syringe should be available at the farm store. I can teach you how to tube if you'd like.

She may also be overexerted and overheated from straining so much in the heat. I would try to get her to drink some water with electrolytes. You can also pick up electrolytes at the feed store, or you can offer some pedialyte.

You can check to see if you can feel a stuck egg by gently and carefully feeling inside her vent. Often a stuck egg can be felt

Thank you so much for your response. My local store did not have it, in fact the employee did not know what it was, so my husband is on his way to another store.
Oh man! Tube feeding sounds like it's going to be quite an undertaking. I'll do some research on it now while he is en route.

Do you think I should attempt to check for the egg? What about another epsom bath? I just feel so bad handling her right now, her stress is through the roof. Even an hour later she is still panting in our air conditioned home.

 

[Rocky_chickenmama]

And should I be concerned with aspirating while tube feeding? I think I remember reading that can be a huge problem with chickens.

Sorry, this is my first flock, 2 years old. I'm definitely still learning especially when health issues arise.

 

[ChickNanny13]

From my notes: Egg Bound - warm soak in Epsom Salt, Tums smashsed & keep in dark room, humidity, feel for egg w/ glove
If she's eating and you have some calcium tablets or even tums ... Crush them & put in her food, add water to make a mash ... see if she'll eat.
Open her mouth, there's 2 holes ... the one on your left/her right goes to the crop, the other (your right, her left) to her lungs (not that one).

 

[Pyxis]

And should I be concerned with aspirating while tube feeding? I think I remember reading that can be a huge problem with chickens.

When done correctly, there is no danger of aspiration. It's actually very easy to do. You can certainly try the Tums first though and see if those do the trick! Do make sure to get her hydrated with the electrolytes as well.

Here's a great thread about tube feeding:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-guide-pictures-under-construction.1064392/

 

[Rocky_chickenmama]

When done correctly, there is no danger of aspiration. It's actually very easy to do. You can certainly try the Tums first though and see if those do the trick! Do make sure to get her hydrated with the electrolytes as well.

Here's a great thread about tube feeding:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-guide-pictures-under-construction.1064392/

We did buy electrolytes so we will get started on that right away. Regarding the calcium glutamate. My husband was told by an employee not to tube feed it to her but to subcutaneously administer it, so he purchased some 20-22 gauge needles. Does this sound right? I just watched a video on how to administer and it looks like behind the neck is the easiest option...thoughts?

 

[Pyxis]

We did buy electrolytes so we will get started on that right away. Regarding the calcium glutamate. My husband was told by an employee not to tube feed it to her but to subcutaneously administer it, so he purchased some 20-22 gauge needles. Does this sound right? I just watched a video on how to administer and it looks like behind the neck is the easiest option...thoughts?

You can do that too If you read that post I linked above, it talks about both ways to do it. Here it is again:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/calcium-gluconate.1103109/post-16974694

Behind the neck is a good spot. The trick is to get the skin tented up so you can get under it. Birds have such thin skin it can be hard.

 

[Rocky_chickenmama]

Thank you guys for you help. Unfortunately, we lost her sometime very late last night/very early this morning.

I had felt inside of her twice and never felt an egg. Then there was this 109 degree heat we have, but she got through the worst of it yesterday and made it into the late night. She was panting A LOT the last 2 days, only one other chicken was panting. And her tail was mostly down, wattle and comb still shrunken and pale. I dunked her a couple of times in hopes of alleviating the heat. She was foraging, drinking the electrolyte water, eating feed, grubbing on frozen strawberries. Saw some decent poos from her. There was one egg in the last couple of days that could've been her but I'm not 100% sure. She was disguising her issues quite well.

The chickens were already in the run when my husband heard a bang (someone hit the feeder?). He went outside to check and found her dead. I'm not sure what I should be checking for on her body. I did lift her tail and found yellow muck (not exactly yolk color) coming from her vent.

Ugh just feeling defeated this morning before another 109 day. Afraid of losing anyone else.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Sorry for your loss ... Always hard to loose one