Hen emergency

[Swampy_9]

For a few days now my hen hasn't been doing great. I can't tell for certain what she may have or what it could be. I was thinking maybe it's the fact it's cold and she has bumble foot. Then I was thinking it's respiratory and then I thought egg bound and now I'm not even sure.

Today she's the least active she's been and the smallest crop too. She didn't play with the scratch toys nor did she fight me when I grabbed her.

While getting ready for a new wrap for the foot she let out this watery yellow-green poop. Nothing solid just liquid.

So I stood her up right and while fighting me she went really limp but didn't pass out. I checked her again and her abdomen is hard. But it's not just one area but like everything past the legs to the vent? There isn't any vets nearby for chickens and the only one I can ask is closed.

I brought her in tonight and this is her right now. Haunches over and soaked cause I was trying to determine if it's egg binding.

She ate just a about half a boiled egg this morning so I'm giving her that tonight and some water with sugar and seeing if she is fine in the morning but I for the life if me can't tell what this is

 

[MarlaMac]

When is the last time she laid an egg? How is her crop? Is it emptying over night? What is her complete diet?

Pictures of poop next time she has one will help.

If she is egg bound it may be hard for her to pass a solid poo. The first thing I would do if she were my hen is to give her a calcium citrate with vit d3. 300 mg tablet. I would do this for 5-7 days and see if she will pass something.

 

[Swampy_9]

When is the last time she laid an egg? How is her crop? Is it emptying over night? What is her complete diet?

Pictures of poop next time she has one will help.

If she is egg bound it may be hard for her to pass a solid poo. The first thing I would do if she were my hen is to give her a calcium citrate with vit d3. 300 mg tablet. I would do this for 5-7 days and see if she will pass something.

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ill go ahead and rush to the walgreens then. Her crop isnt as full its kind of like maybe the size of a quarter if that? The last time i can safely say she laid an egg herself was perhaps a week ago. Its been colder so only two hens that aren't her have laid. Her diet is a complete flock feed with some scratch in the night and sometimes scrambled eggs if i feel like they need it. Though today all she had was a boiled egg twice. And recently i added vitamins and electrolytes to the water too. Yesterday she pooped the tiniest bit but nothing i thought was different so ill see how her poop is in the morning.

 

[Anon112]

Calcium is a good idea and won't hurt if it's not her being eggbound.

Unfortunately, in my experience these symptoms usually go along with some sort of mass. In my most recent hen I lost, it was a mass in her belly that the vet thought got big enough that it was impacting her digestive system and making it harder for her to pass food through.

Continuing to try to get her to eat (scrambled egg, mash) and getting some calcium in her are good ideas. She might just be eggbound.

How is her weight? When you feel her chest is she solid, or is her breastbone very pronounced?

 

[MarlaMac]

Most chickens love wetted feed. I would offer that along with the egg. (Just in case you don't know what Anon112 meant by mash).

 

[Swampy_9]

Calcium is a good idea and won't hurt if it's not her being eggbound.

Unfortunately, in my experience these symptoms usually go along with some sort of mass. In my most recent hen I lost, it was a mass in her belly that the vet thought got big enough that it was impacting her digestive system and making it harder for her to pass food through.

Continuing to try to get her to eat (scrambled egg, mash) and getting some calcium in her are good ideas. She might just be eggbound.

How is her weight? When you feel her chest is she solid, or is her breastbone very pronounced?

ill try that given she is just about to be 2 years old soonish. Her weight i want to say is normal? she is a sapphire splash hen and shes always been very little. Like i could always feel her breast bone and on her sister which is also a splash sapphire. im not sure if that is common on that hen type but for me at least they never put on any more weight than that

 

[Swampy_9]

Most chickens love wetted feed. I would offer that along with the egg. (Just in case you don't know what Anon112 meant by mash).

ah okay ill try that too just in case while i isolate her.

 

[Anon112]

ill try that given she is just about to be 2 years old soonish. Her weight i want to say is normal? she is a sapphire splash hen and shes always been very little. Like i could always feel her breast bone and on her sister which is also a splash sapphire. im not sure if that is common on that hen type but for me at least they never put on any more weight than that

In a way that might be good. With masses, in my experience you suddenly notice a hen isn't feeling well, but they've been masking and so by the time you catch on, they've lost a bit of weight.

It is possible that something internal is happening, but 2 years is relatively young.

You mention that she has bumblefoot. How long has that been going on?

If it is financially/logistically feasible, I would reach out to the vet ASAP.

As you slide your fingers along her breastbone, is it smooth or a bit wavy/bumpy? A bumpy breastbone can indicate a calcium deficiency.

 

[Swampy_9]

In a way that might be good. With masses, in my experience you suddenly notice a hen isn't feeling well, but they've been masking and so by the time you catch on, they've lost a bit of weight.

It is possible that something internal is happening, but 2 years is relatively young.

You mention that she has bumblefoot. How long has that been going on?

If it is financially/logistically feasible, I would reach out to the vet ASAP.

As you slide your fingers along her breastbone, is it smooth or a bit wavy/bumpy? A bumpy breastbone can indicate a calcium deficiency.

ive been fighting this bumblefoot for maybe two months or possibly more? its not progressed and its stayed in its little pocket. i extracted here and there and today it looked the best. but thats when she let out that odd poop and she kind of just stopped being able to breath that well?

the bone itself feels smooth, but i can feel this point right next to her vent. Doesn't feel bumpy to me. Unfortunately there really is no vet anywhere near me. the closest one i have to ask and see if they can even see her. and unfortunately financially it isn't that feasible.

It just gets me that not only she's young. But so alert too. she isnt breathing hard. she is on alert being alone. just the odd thing for me is the lack of water, her almost fainting and the hunched over position she has now. despite it not being freezing.

 

[Anon112]

Poor girl. I hope that the calcium helps.

You might see if she'll eat egg mixed with wet feed, just to see if she can get more of her normal food into her.