Is Bernice ill? Stopped laying, white substance

[U_Stormcrow]

Pardon me for butting in, Storm, but I know there is a good article somewhere regarding crop issues but don't know where to find it or who the author is. Something like "how to know what crop issue you're dealing with and how to treat it"? Not sure if it's by @azygous, @EggCentric or @Wyorp Rock, but pretty sure it's one of them. Do you know where it can be found? (I'm no good at linking articles, sorry.)

OP, sorry your hen is ill and wishing her a speedy recovery.

Not butting in at all. I may not know illnesses, but I know how to search, and you provided the keywords.

THIS is most likely the article you had in mind.

See also.

 

[SouthDakotaLiving]

Wow, you've all given me much to think about! Thanks so much. I do like to research so I will try to get up to speed with all of this.
Bernice is a sweet gal and normally so loud and full of life. I hope she can recover. The penicillin shot may have helped her enough to enable her to eat a bit this evening so perhaps she will rally. Thanks for all your help.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Not butting in at all. I may not know illnesses, but I know how to search, and you provided the keywords.

THIS is most likely the article you had in mind.

See also.

Thanks, Storm!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Good luck with her! Please keep us posted.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thanks, Storm!

Is what we are all here for, helping one another out with our knowledge, skills, experiences.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Photos of Bernice and her poop?
What do you feed?

I'd go to Walmart, CVS, or similar, buy a bottle of Calcium Citrate and a tube of Miconazole or Clotrimazole. Then I'd stop by Tractor Supply or similar feed store and buy Corid (Amprolium).

Give Bernice 1 tablet Calcium Citrate daily for 5 days (just pull down on her wattles and pop the tablet in, she'll swallow it). I'd give her 1/2" of the Miconazole or Clotrimazole twice a day for 7 days. I'd give her 1 tsp of coconut oil daily.
I'd treat her for Coccidiosis. Liquid Corid dose is 2 tsp or Powdered Corid dose is 1 1/2 tsp per gallon of water.

Order some Fish Mox (Amoxicillin) online and once it arrives, give her 57mg per pound of weight orally twice a day for 10-14 days.

The Calcium is to help per pass any soft shelled eggs, the Miconazole/Clotrimazole and Coconut oil are to treat the crop problem (see the article linked below). The Corid is to treat Coccidiosis which may be an issue or not, I would expect a fecal float to show some oocysts since chickens do naturally carry a slight load and usually have resistance at that age, but being not well could have an overload. The Corid won't hurt her.
The Amoxicillin is to help infection and inflammation.
I have a suspicion that a membrane ruptured before she expelled an egg and some of the material re-entered the oviduct or could have reversed and ended up in the Coelomic cavity. This can make them feel rotten.
The crop problem is likely a symptom. It's often seen when there's something else going on.

I'm not a vet, nor an expert. This is what I'd do if she were mine based on the description you give. Once photos are uploaded and viewed. I might change my mind.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

P.S. If she's able to eat/drink on her own, can move about and is not being picked on, I'd keep her with her flock.
Avian Influenza is a rapid deadly contagious disease, if she had that, then most all your birds would likely be sick and dying by now and she'd have passed on.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I consider Wyorp Rock to be an expert on this stuff, fwiw.

 

[SouthDakotaLiving]

You all are amazing!! I'm so grateful for your experience and help.

Today the vet prescribed: "Albon Suspension" (antibiotic, same as sulfadimethoxine), "Fluconazole" (anti fungal), and "MetCam", an NSAID for pain and inflammation. Given these meds, @Wyorp Rock, do you still think I need to pursue amoxicillin, Corid, and Miconazole?

I have calcium carbonate in powdered form. The on-line citrate products dosages seem to range from 150-1000 mg per tablet. The powder I have tells how much is in a 1/8 tsp w/ dosage recs for a human. I've seen in this blog the calcium gluconate dosage for egg bound hens as 100mg/kg. Might that be a good guideline for the carbonate powder? I can mix w/ water and inject into her beak.

Vet thought her crop was "squishy," but no odor coming from crop nor vent. The vet tech thought there was some granular material in crop in addition to squishy. Based upon the excellent article provided, it seems that she might have an impacted (vs sour) crop. I will chill some olive oil and try to get some down her--I guess it needs to be a lot--2 teaspoons. White pasty material continues to seep out of her backside, as can be seen by the picture.

I live in a very small town w/no drug stores and only BomGars (and the big city takes a half a day of travel). I can go to big city if necessary tomorrow, but I have vaginal cream here and I think everything else you've recommended.

Any input you have on the meds I was given and the ones you recommended would be greatly appreciated. If the meds prescribed are adequate, then it seems I need to add the calcium for possible soft egg passage issues and olive oil for possible impacted crop.

Vet emphasized keeping Bernice separate, but she is in a tiny laundry room and I think she is lonely/bored/scared. The 4 other hens show no symptoms at all. The controlled environment definitely helps me to administer the medicine, since I don't have another set of hands for holding her while giving medicine, and I don't think I could manage that out in the coop/run. On the other hand, I wish she could be with her friends in a more normal environment. I haven't handled her much at all and am not confident I could transport her back and forth from run to laundry room. I just offered her some yogurt; she got up slowly, turned in a circle, then faced the wall (away from me and the yogurt). Not sure she's up to being with her friends. I hope the isolation won't be bad for her.

She seems to be drinking a little bit but not eating. She fought me pretty hard while I gave her the meds, so she still has some strength in her and she is ambulatory but disinclined to move. I think I am terrible at this, as I hate to touch a bird that doesn't want to be touched. Poor thing is just hovering in the towels, trying to keep herself safe. I hope I can get the syringe of calcium + frozen olive oil inside her beak. I hope this will not cause further stress and fear. Her eyes seem clear, her crown and wattle seem red, and her gait is normal tho very slow. Demeanor is frightened and depressed.

In answer to your question @Wyorp Rock, she's been eating grower food (18% protein, 1% calcium), with oyster shell and grit on the side--all free-fed. No idea whether she availed herself of these in the past, but I have included these in the laundry room, along with her feed.. I do have organic layer food I could give instead (16% protein, 3.8-4% calcium). I will find out about medicated food, as I have none of that. For treats lately they've had some apple, strawberry, scratch and unsalted peanuts. They also get some soldier fly larvae once a week.

Sorry pics are blurry, taken with laptop and camera makes a startling noise each time.

 

[SouthDakotaLiving]

Post-Script: Please let me know if there is a trick to getting/keeping beak open. Most of the calcium went onto her feathers and not in her mouth. The frozen olive oil was too huge and out of the question after the stress of the calcium attempt. I tried pulling down on the wattle as well as pulling up on top of beak and trying to "un-hinge" the whole beak the way one might do to a cat's mouth

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Today the vet prescribed: "Albon Suspension" (antibiotic, same as sulfadimethoxine), "Fluconazole" (anti fungal), and "MetCam", an NSAID for pain and inflammation. Given these meds, @Wyorp Rock, do you still think I need to pursue amoxicillin, Corid, and Miconazole?

I have calcium carbonate in powdered form. The on-line citrate products dosages seem to range from 150-1000 mg per tablet. The powder I have tells how much is in a 1/8 tsp w/ dosage recs for a human. I've seen in this blog the calcium gluconate dosage for egg bound hens as 100mg/kg. Might that be a good guideline for the carbonate powder? I can mix w/ water and inject into her beak.

I would go with what your vet has prescribed, looks like she's got you covered.
100mg/kg is a good place to start with the calcium.

I've found that chilled/frozen Coconut oil is much easier to give when treating a crop. My birds like the taste and usually will eat it on their own. On occasion I've had a stubborn one and if that's the case, I have it broken up into small pieces and pop them in the beak. Coconut oil softens quickly at room temp is the only disadvantage.

Hard to tell in the photo but it looks like she may be leaking urates, but it could be vent gleet. Vent Gleet will have a strong yeasty smell. Urates *could* smell more like ammonia or urine. Depends on how advanced as to what odor you may detect.
With her having some production issues, then she this may be the main underlying cause of the symptoms she's exhibiting.

You are right. Having a bird confined to a smaller space does make it easier to care for them and administer meds.
If you have a large crate/kennel or a way to make an outdoor space for her that she can go outside for short periods of time that may break up the monotony for her. Just being able to get in a little sunshine and fresh air can help.

You'll do fine. If she's not used to being handled, it can be stressful. But she'll probably come around. If you are able, sit on the floor with her to administer the meds, letting her stand up so she has her feet under her. You will hone your technique and become more confident as time goes by, so take it slow and just do the best you can.
For me, I prefer to stand, so I stand the bird on a table, drape an arm over them, then use the elbow to wedge them to my body, this gives a free hand to pull down wattles/control the head, while the other hand is free to administer medications.

You may find this article with photos and video helpful for giving meds.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/