HELP!

[Farmerlou1]

my chicken is in pain squatting and loosing feathers I tried to hand feed her but it hurt her to move

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us I wish it were under better circumstances @azygous @Wyorp Rock can you stop by and offer assistance?

Can you tell us what she's been eating, when she was wormed, and what her poop looks like? Pictures of her and her poop would be helpful as well.

 

[Farmerlou1]

She's been eating egg layer crumbles and some cracked corn. Her poop is very thin and real brite white. She just all of a sudden lost a lot of feathers and after last nights temp drop I went outside to check all the heaters and bulbs and she was standing out in the cold away from the other chickens squatting I will get photos uploaded soon

 

[azygous]

It sounds like egg binding. Look at her vent. Do you see bulging around the vent, maybe what appears to be an egg pushing hard against the vent?

If so, you need to get this hen into a tub of warm water immediately. It will also help to give her a calcium citrate pill. Or a Tums.

After a half hour in the warm soak, grease her vent with mineral or coconut oil. Place her in a quiet, dim place, and let her relax, checking on her often.

Report back here, and we'll take it from there.

 

[Farmerlou1]

She is currently soaking in the warm water she seems to be relaxing up some she was just squating now she is laying some

 

[Farmerlou1]

She pooped and started walking and eating and drinking can chickens be constipated?

 

[azygous]

They can be constipated, but with older chickens, it's usually in the crop where things back up. To be sure your hen doesn't have crop issues, which could also cause problems farther down the track, check her crop first thing in the morning to be sure it emptied completely during the night.

A crop that still has something in it come morning, has issues that need to be addressed. A full crop in the morning could mean sour crop or impacted crop, each treated in a different manner. Sometimes both occur at the same time, requiring intensive treatment.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Great advice from all of you @Farmerlou1

 

[azygous]

If a hen gets egg bound, the intestine that empties the poop out of the vent gets sealed off. The longer the hen is egg-bound, the more dangerous the constipation can become, and it can kill her.

I don't know what happened with your hen. It may not have been an egg blocking the vent. Maybe the warm soak encouraged her intestine to release the poop, and that was her only issue.

But you need to keep an eye on her in case it was an egg and the issue hasn't really resolved. If that's the case, she will have the same trouble again, maybe tomorrow.

 

[Farmerlou1]

I am keeping a very close eye on her she went from not walking, eating, or drinking to walking around and she finally ate. Hoping she was just constipated but I will check her crop in the morning. Will keep you guys posted on the sweet girl