Help please

[Jessica Lazzaro]

Hello! I have a 4 year old maran that is acting off. I noticed today that she was just standing still instead of foraging and moving around like the other girls during their free ranging time. I observed for about a half an hour and noticed that she wasn't pooping either. I tried treats and regular food and she was not interested. I brought her in the house, gave her nutri drench and scrambled eggs which she ate happily. She's also been drinking some small amounts of water when it's offered to her. Her comb looks bright red and normal. Her eyes look alert and she's still making chicken noises but she's still not walking around much. I gave her an Epsom bath for about 15 minutes, dried her well and then left her alone for a bit. She's since pooped a wet white and green poop. She laid an egg two days ago. I don't see any other noticable signs that could help me determine what's going on. Any ideas or suggestions on what to do now?

 

[RubelliteRose]

Sorry your girl isn't feeling well. It is good that she ate the egg and drank water. Did you check for mites, lice and bumblefoot? When she does walk, is she limping at all? When I had a hen who was eggbound, I noticed that her vent was unusually active for lack of a better term. Like she was trying to expel the egg, but couldn't.
Also, pictures of your hen and of her poop would be helpful for everyone to see as well.

 

[Eggcessive]

How often does she normally lay? How does her crop feel? It should feel somewhat full after the eggs, but check it first thing in the morning before she eats or drinks to see if it is empty and flat, as it should be then. If you think that she could be egg bound, you could give her a calcium tablet or Tums orally.

 

[Jessica Lazzaro]

Sorry your girl isn't feeling well. It is good that she ate the egg and drank water. Did you check for mites, lice and bumblefoot? When she does walk, is she limping at all? When I had a hen who was eggbound, I noticed that her vent was unusually active for lack of a better term. Like she was trying to expel the egg, but couldn't.
Also, pictures of your hen and of her poop would be helpful for everyone to see as well.

Thank you for your reply. No mites or lice that I can see. She does have a very mild case of bumblefoot that I was getting ready to treat. That being said, she's not limping when she does walk. I didn't think that would impact eating/popping? I just checked on her again and she's had a couple more poops but they are still green and white. I'll check her crop and get another photo in the morning. This was her earlier tonight during her bath. I did notice that since her bath, she's been holding her tail down.

 

[RubelliteRose]

@Eggcessive is one of our BYC experts! I would follow her advice and give your hen a calcium tablet to help in case she is egg bound. It won't hurt her, but it will help her expel any egg material that may be stuck.
You are right, bumblefoot wouldn't normally affect eating and pooping. I did have one hen who had bumblefoot in a particularly sensitive spot on her foot and didn't move much. As a consequence, she was eating and pooping less until I treated the infection. She had a very obvious scab on the bottom of her foot though.

 

[Eggcessive]

Calcium may help if she is having a problem passing an egg. I don’t usually treat bumblefoot unless it is very red and swollen or causes limping. There are several noninvasive ways to treat it, such as using a daily dressing of Prid drawing salve or sugardine. Sugardine is just sugar and a drop or two of Betadine made into a paste and applied to the bumble, and covered with gauze and vet wrap. Don’t get the foot dressing too tight, and check circulation. The video below shows the proper way to apply a dressing, just substitute the sugardine or Prid for the antibiotic ointment:

 

[Jessica Lazzaro]

Okay my girl is drinking tons of water this morning but I don't think has eaten based on what I'm seeing in the camera I set up. I'm thinking something might be wrong with her crop? as it's still round and squishy this morning. And she still hasn't had a normal poop. But her tail is down? So maybe it's an egg? She's had a few more white and green poops.

 

[Jessica Lazzaro]

Calcium may help if she is having a problem passing an egg. I don’t usually treat bumblefoot unless it is very red and swollen or causes limping. There are several noninvasive ways to treat it, such as using a daily dressing of Prid drawing salve or sugardine. Sugardine is just sugar and a drop or two of Betadine made into a paste and applied to the bumble, and covered with gauze and vet wrap. Don’t get the foot dressing too tight, and check circulation. The video below shows the proper way to apply a dressing, just substitute the sugardine or Prid for the antibiotic ointment:

Thank you so much for all your advice and help! I'm thinking it may be sour crop is she hasn't eaten anything and her crop is still round and squishy. There is no foul smell though? Should I still give calcium if it is sour crop? And should I be massaging it or is that just for an impacted crop? And lastly, she's drinking a ton of water. Could that be an indication of anything. Thank you again for all your time. I really appreciate your help.

 

[Jessica Lazzaro]

Another update: I'm feeling more strongly that this is sour crop. I didn't realize I was supposed to restrict water but have taken it away now. I was just checking her vent and she threw up quite a bit and it definitely smells! Plus it has bits of scrambled eggs in it from yesterday. My understanding is I restrict food and water and I don't give her meds until it's empty but how does it enjoy on its own? I thought sour crop doesn't empty on it's own? Thank you again for all your help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do no restrict water with sour crop, or massage the crop. You only would massage a hard impacted crop. She needs water and electrolytes might be good.. Food can be withheld for a day. I would give some antifungal miconazole or Monistat cream orally 1/2 inch twice a day. Check her crop again each am before she eats or drinks. By tomorrow, you could offer some very soft watery egg.

Her dark green poops mean that she is not getting enough food, and that is do to her crop slowing down. Chickens drink a lot of water with crop problems. She may have something else causing her crop problem, and that could be a reproductive disorder such as salpingitis. Calcium can help to pass a stuck egg or perhaps a lash egg.

I would recommend reading this good article on treating crop disorders:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/