I'm need you diagnosis........please!!!!

[willkatdawson]

Sick barred rock hen
3 1/2 years old
walked up from the coop Saturday very slow and weak.....with her eyes squinted
She doesn't have a runny nose or eyes
she has eaten a little meat (that's all she would touch), but she not even looking at her favs like blue berries and yogurt
she has not laid an egg since she's been in (Sat am early)
her feces have a strange odor....

she has been drinking
she does not have "bad breath"
her crop does have some food in it, even though I'm not sure she ate today
her crop is very squishy like sand in pantyhose
she lays around very lethargic
her vent area is pale in color not pink like the other hens
I have not given her an oral wormer, but I do use Eprinex pour on for inside and out pest control
she's been in a play pen in our laundry room since Sat

I'm really worried she's egg bound or worse. She's layed eggs like this for quite some time. Sometimes they clear up, but the shells are always super weak. It's been a while since I'm had a thin shelled egg.......

any help you can give would be great, I hate to loose my sweet Oprah

 

[dawg53]

When you crack open one of her eggs, are the whites watery? If so, it possibly could be infectious bronchitis (virus)causing the wrinkled and soft shelled eggs. It will clear up in time and she'll resume laying normally but at a slower pace. Other possibilites could include her age, stress, or maybe egg gland malfunction, binding in her reproductive system. That might explain her acting lethargic. You could put her in some warm water and gently massage her underside for about 10-15 minutes. That would help expand her reproductive tract so the egg could pass easier. You could also put on a plastic glove and put olive oil on it and insert your finger into her vent and lube the insides. It'll be easier for her to lay the egg, the stretching will help as well. I honestly believe this is only a temporary solution. ETA: Crushed oyster shell in her feed might help too. Tough to diagnose. Good luck.

 

[willkatdawson]

Thanks Dawg. Yes she did have infectious bronchitis when she was about a year old. Ever since then she's layed thin shelled eggs with watery whites. She isn't eating. I made scrambled eggs this morning and she wouldn't even taste them. She seems alert and will even stand up when I come in the room. I did see her drink yesterday. She is NOT stopped up or having a runny nose. Plus no wheezing. I think it must have something to do with her reproductive tract. Her vent is pale in color and small like she hasn't been laying in a while, which is most likely true as I haven't had any thin shelled eggs in a while. She feel thin through her breast. Her breast bone is very sharp and pointy. I can't feel an egg inside her, although I don't really know what I'm feeling for.
I can't stand the idea of her starving to death. Should I be thinking of putting her out of her misery. I don't want to give up on her, but I don't want her to suffer either.

Oh, I forgot to say that last night I squeezed her crop and it had some food in it. Very soft food. Anyway, a good "burp" came out and it did not have any odor. So I'm thinking it's not sour crop.

 

[fishnet1971]

dont' give up on her just yet. She may be able to tell you what's bothering her yet. Will she take any yogurt?

 

[speckledhen]

Hope you figure it out. I have one hen who has never been ill a day in her life who started laying wrinkly eggs post-molt. She's the only one who does it and they hatch fine, so must just be a weird glitch, no watery yolks, just weird shells. There are so many issues with laying hens, poor things. As you probably know, I've lost many hatchery hens to internal laying/egg peritonitis, usually starting after their second year. They quit laying for a long time, then they start losing weight even with a good appetite, then they become weak. Sometimes the abdomen will be enlarged and sometimes, not, but we always find solid infection/egg material in the oviducts or abdomen.

 

[tammye]

give her some electrolyte solution and vitamins in her water may give her a little lift/boost to her immune system. My hens will eat fresh corn no matter what, so try some favorite treats get some food in her, I hope she gets better.

 

[willkatdawson]

Quote:
No, she normally love yogurt. She won't even look at it. She did eat a little scrambled egg today though. I won't give up on her. As lang as she's able to hold her head up and drink and eat a little.

 

[willkatdawson]

Quote:
Tammye, I'm glad you mentioned the vitamins, be cause Sunday morning I started her on baby drops (no iron) and I forgot to post that in my first post.
Thanks!

 

[willkatdawson]

Quote:
Tammye, I'm glad you mentioned the vitamins, be cause Sunday morning I started her on baby drops (no iron) and I forgot to post that in my first post.
Thanks!

Good idea on the electrolytes.......I'll get some today!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I would start her on an antibiotic in her water such as lincomycin. It is possible that she has egg peritonitis. See this link http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/toc_205800.htm


Good luck...keep us posted.