hen always squats and waddles...but not egg bound?

[0die]

One of my hens suddenly just squats all the time and reluctantly waddles around if she needs to move. She just stays on the ground. From what I've searched and googled is sounds like she is egg bound. I 've inspected her as best I can. I used a latex glove and some KY and stuck my finger all the way into her vent (about 3 inches) and can't feel any stuck egg. Soaked her bottom in warm water with epsom salts. She is not missing any feathers and has no apparent injuries. Both legs are fine/no broken bones or foot problems.

She is just over 3 years old.

any ideas?

 

[coach723]

Do you know when she last laid an egg? If you feel below her vent and between her legs, does her abdomen feel bloated at all, either very firm, or like a water balloon (you can compare with another bird if you aren't sure)? Reproductive issues like internal laying, salpingitis, reproductive cancers are not uncommon at this age, and can also cause ascites (build up of fluid in the abdomen), all of which can contribute to a waddling stance and slowing down or reluctance to move as much.

 

[0die]

I don't track egg laying...I have 7 hens and they all use the same 2 boxes whenever(sometimes 3 in a box)...I really don't know who's eggs are whose cause they all lay in the same boxes and they are all brownish (except one laying white and one green layer), usually when I'm at work. This hen I have seen in the box recently as I recall, but that doesn't mean that she laid an egg. But no, I can't look at an egg and say its from this bird or that one...

I did get a 2-3 deformed eggs a couple months ago. One really weird with a "pigtail"...all those were from the same bird since the color and texture was 100% identical...It could have been hers since she it a "brownish" layer...

I held her on her back and felt all around her body for a lump, hardness, broken bones, something, anything...found nothing but I didn't compare to other birds.

She did poop a little (but not much) after I fingered her vent...from what I've read is that a stuck egg will prevent pooping...

she still drinks water and will eat some...

 

[coach723]

A stuck egg might prevent pooping, depending on where it was stuck. Usually an egg bound bird will go downhill pretty rapidly if the egg is not able to be expelled. Sometimes a softshelled egg or malformed egg can be very difficult to pass, and it will make them feel pretty unwell. I would suggest that you crate her for a few days, a wire crate in the run where she can still see and be seen by the other birds is least stressful, so you can get a good look at her behaviors, droppings, food and water intake, and see if she lays an egg for you. If you had some strange eggs, that may point to the start of a reproductive issue, or it could have just been a short term glitch. See what you can find with a bit of observing her and it may narrow things down a bit.

 

[0die]

Still no change...Can an egg be stuck further in than your finger can reach?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would crush a vitamin B complex tablet into her food, and add a few drops of vegatable oil to get it to cling. Riboflavin deficiency can cause walking around on their hocks. Does she have any curling under of her toes? Mareks disease and other illnesses can sometimes cause walking or sitting on hocks most of the time. If it is riboflavin deficiency, then starting vitamins early can sometimes help. At her age, she is more likely to suffer from reproductive disorders.

 

[0die]

Is there a tractor supply chicken medication product that would be good in this situation? this morning still no change in her...she is alert and otherwise calm...still drinks water and eats some...

 

[coach723]

It would be very hard to recommend a medication when we aren't sure exactly what is wrong with her. An antibiotic might do no good at all, or even do harm if it was not the correct one. Most of the time it's not really a good idea to just 'throw the kitchen sink at it' and hope for the best. If you have an avian vet, then getting an exam and xray might help narrow down the possibilities. Even if you can just get a fecal float test done to check for parasites and bacteria it may help. If it is a reproductive issue, and that is what my personal opinion is leaning towards at this point, then most of the time treatment options are pretty limited, and often not successful. Since so many conditions in birds can present with very similar symptoms it can be very hard to determine sometimes. In truth, some answers are not had until after they pass and a necropsy is done. I'm not trying to be discouraging, just my opinions based on my experience. I would certainly give vitamins as recommended above, those will not hurt anything, are not expensive or difficult, and may help. Vitamin deficiencies can happen any time and can often have neurological symptoms, like difficultly walking. Anytime I have a bird with any issue I will generally supplement vitamins just as a matter of course. Likewise, probiotics can help with the immune system, are not expensive or difficult, and won't hurt anything.

 

[0die]

just regular "human" vitamin B? or should I get some supplements from a feed store that are probably better formulated for chickens? Or is that nothing but repackaged, plain old vitamin B?

 

[coach723]

Vitamins are not species specific, human ones are fine. Poly vi sol liquid for infants is sometimes used, it has the B's, get one without iron. Or a human B complex tablet. Whatever you have available to you that covers the B's should be OK.