Help with chicken - acts egg bound but no egg????

[sunbear1224]

Hello! I have a white leghorn that is a little over a year old that is acting strangely. She has been in and out of her nest since yesterday and when she's out of the nest she puffs up and puts her head down. I thought she might be egg bound so I picked her up (with rubber gloves) and examined her back end. Its extremely messy with goo. I searched a bit just inside and palpatated her abdomen but feel absolutely nothing. I set her down and she pooed a string of off white goo but nothing else. She walks around and doesn't really walk upright like a penguin but then she puts her head down and her wings sag and she puffs her feathers up. Is it possible that she was egg bound or had some kind of trouble and now has an infection? Has anyone else experienced this? Is there anything I can do?

 

[SleepyOwl]

I can't help, but I am having almost the same problem. My hen seems very weak though, along with white liquidy poo, sagging wings, puffed up. She is eating, but not a whole lot. She also seems really skinny. (I just noticed the weakness yesterday, and then realized how skinny she is.) She is 7 months, but hasn't laid any eggs yet (and I could not feel anything stuck, and she is so skinny, I think I would have felt something.)

 

[etammy]

They both sound sick. Watery white liquid poop in my experience has lead to death, probably Marke's per my vet, no confirmation testing done. Now that being said I have a hen I have given the last rites to three times in 4 years now. Sometimes a molt can make them seem quite ill, but these hens are to young for a molt I believe. At least isolate bthe sick hen and make sure she eats and drinks, give her some treats to ensure she eats. Put some electrolyte solution in the water. First tread, she could be egg bound, try a warm bath in a dish pan, they like it , most do anyway, soak for 15-20 minutes and repeat, put some lube in her vent, gently if you think it may be an egg. Good luck

 

[FenikT]

I lost a 5mth old Cornish about a month ago to something similar as you described. I had purchased her a couple weeks previous as a replacement for another Cornish of the same age who apparently rocketed into my coop's inner roof one night while trying to roost and broke its neck.

The first week of integration w/ the rest of the flock was rather uneventful. About 10 days post-integration, I noticed less energy in the bird and a white dirty butt which was fouling its vent feathers. I cleaned her up a couple times the day I noticed but her feathers were fouled up hard the next day. Within a couple days she went from being head of the line running across the yard to being a distant straggler. I wound up finding her sprawled out on the coop floor around 10pm on the 14th day post-integration, stiff as a board.

Being new to the chicken game, I had no idea what it could be and did my best to research the internet and ask my old country boy neighbor. All indications pointed to vent gleet, but it seemed like my chicken went downhill too fast for only vent gleet. There is a variety of recommended approaches for gleet, including epsom salt baths, feeding probiotic yogurt to affected chickens, treating the vent area with povidone iodine (10%) solution, spiking water troughs with apple cider vinegar, etc. Personally, I've been feeding yogurt to my flock a couple times a week (6oz feeds five birds one big tablespoon each) and put ACV in their water. They have access to chicken feed pellets and veggie scraps plus free-range 5000sq ft of backyard most of the day.

Fortunately none of the other hens were affected. I've been watching them closely since for anything unusual and they only continue to prosper and have two of the three Cornish even started to lay eggs within the past week.

 

[casportpony]

You all shoul read this thread, maybe it will help.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/728469/not-sure-what-is-going-on-very-worried

 

[sunbear1224]

Since posting this, I have isolated my chicken and put her in the barn in a large dog crate under a heat lamp. She is moving about some and eating some crumbles and sunflower seeds and I have also provided water with probiotics and electrolytes. She is not as hunched up as yesterday and her back end has dried up somewhat but she is still a bit too calm for her normal behaviour. I have checked her over pretty thoroughly and am pretty sure she is not egg bound but maybe she was and now has an infection. I am pretty befuddled as to what is going on. She is my friendliest hen and often jumps up and perches on my arm when I gather eggs which I thought was pretty cool, so it bothers me a lot to see her like this.

One thing I have noticed the most about her is that she refuses to lie down or even squat down on a roost. She will get up on a roost, but stands the whole time and if she is on the floor she is always standing there too. Not sure if this might be a clue to what the problem might be or not but if anyone else has a similar situation, I'd sure like to hear.

I will keep posting progress in case it may help someone else, too.
Thanks everyone for your response, I appreciate it!
Take care and may all your chickens be happy and healthy!!

 

[FenikT]

From what I've read, egg bound chickens are more prone to sit than stand, albeit every situation is unique. If you still suspect an egg bound chicken, supplement w/ calcium gluconate powder (which is easier than crushing a bunch of calcium pills or emptying caplets). If it is EB and is not rectified w/in 48 hours, the chicken will likely die. Hopefully its just vent gleet and something treatable.

 

[casportpony]

From what I've read, egg bound chickens are more prone to sit than stand, albeit every situation is unique. If you still suspect an egg bound chicken, supplement w/ calcium gluconate powder (which is easier than crushing a bunch of calcium pills or emptying caplets). If it is EB and is not rectified w/in 48 hours, the chicken will likely die. Hopefully its just vent gleet and something treatable.

I just give mine whole calcium pills (500mg) and d gel caps (1000 I.U.).

 

[SleepyOwl]

I just give mine whole calcium pills (500mg) and d gel caps (1000 I.U.).

How do you manage that?


I soaked my hen in a bath last night, and afterwards she pooped much more normal poop. A lot of it. She still isn't doing so great, and no egg.... I think if it was an egg, she would probably be dead by now?

 

[casportpony]

How do you manage that?


I soaked my hen in a bath last night, and afterwards she pooped much more normal poop. A lot of it. She still isn't doing so great, and no egg.... I think if it was an egg, she would probably be dead by now?

I stick it at the back of their tongues and they swallow.