Is it possible for a pullet who never laid an egg be suffering from Internal Laying?

[clrdogrl]

I have a 6 month old Gold Laced Wyandotte who hasn't laid an egg yet. I chalked it up to her being slow to mature but last week she started walking slowly with her body low to the ground and has had very watery poops. I've given her epsom salt baths, massaged her and even lubed her inside vent thinking maybe she was egg bound. I even thought it could be impacted crop so I've given her olive oil to help things pass. She's very skinny when I pick her up and now isn't walking much. While the others are free ranging, she just finds a spot and is half sleeping. She stands with her tail down (not so much penguin but more like how their tail is down when they're roosting).

It's not worms as they were all wormed when I got them a few months ago as part of my typical regiment when introducing new pullets to the flock. Everyone is wormed and dusted.

Well today she has taken a turn for the worse and is laying down. Still alive but she won't last long I assume. Could it be possible she was an internal layer? She never laid me and egg but her wattles did get larger and turn bright red a month or so ago so I thought she was close...so could a pullet be an internal layer without ever laying me a "real" egg?

I'm wondering if I should put her down so she's not suffering and open her up to see. If I was to do that, does anyone have any step by step instructions on how and where to cut her open?

 

[K-12 Chickens]

Have you ever noticed her expelling egg remains?

 

[clrdogrl]

No. There was never any yolk or egg white that she expelled. Her droppings were normal until recently when it was turned into the consistency of water with urates and her feathers were dirty from her poop.

 

[K-12 Chickens]

I keep thinking it might be infection, but if she's an internal layer, I don't think there is a cure. Even if she were to come out of this, she might still lay internally and have repeated problems.

 

[casportpony]

So sorry... please keep us posted.

-Kathy

 

[Eggcessive]

I have a 6 month old Gold Laced Wyandotte who hasn't laid an egg yet. I chalked it up to her being slow to mature but last week she started walking slowly with her body low to the ground and has had very watery poops. I've given her epsom salt baths, massaged her and even lubed her inside vent thinking maybe she was egg bound. I even thought it could be impacted crop so I've given her olive oil to help things pass. She's very skinny when I pick her up and now isn't walking much. While the others are free ranging, she just finds a spot and is half sleeping. She stands with her tail down (not so much penguin but more like how their tail is down when they're roosting).

It's not worms as they were all wormed when I got them a few months ago as part of my typical regiment when introducing new pullets to the flock. Everyone is wormed and dusted.

Well today she has taken a turn for the worse and is laying down. Still alive but she won't last long I assume. Could it be possible she was an internal layer? She never laid me and egg but her wattles did get larger and turn bright red a month or so ago so I thought she was close...so could a pullet be an internal layer without ever laying me a "real" egg?

I'm wondering if I should put her down so she's not suffering and open her up to see. If I was to do that, does anyone have any step by step instructions on how and where to cut her open?

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this. Here is a good sight with necropsy directions. There are other good ones: http://borlaug.tamu.edu/files/2012/03/Poultry-necropsy-Manual.pdf

 

[clrdogrl]

So she didn't make it. :-(

I know chickens can die randomly but usually I've seen it in older hens where cancer or a tumor or whatever is more understandable.
I'm just shocked because she was so young.

For future reference, can I ask a couple questions to any experts out there on internal laying/EYP/egg binding, etc. I couldn't find these specific answers in my searches

If a hen is suffering from being egg bound, it will kill her in a day or two without treatment, correct?

If a hen is suffering from internal laying, it could take weeks to slowly kill her, correct?

Are internal laying and egg yolk peritonitis the same thing?

 

[clrdogrl]

This article describes my Dottie quite well.
http://simplelifeainteasy.blogspot.com/2012/03/egg-yolk-peritonitis-diagnosing-sick.html

But I'm stumped thinking it could have been that if she never even laid an egg. If it's possible to suffer from one of these conditions without having laid an actual egg yet, then I'll chalk it up to that.

But if it's not possible for her to suffer from this since she never laid an egg, then I need to think about other possible reasons/ailments/diseases and make sure it's not something contagious that might have infected my flock.

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry for your loss. All you can do is keep reading and asking questions. A lot of people on here have been through the same thing and if you keep posting in the morning when more of the knowlegeable ones are reading here, you should get answers. I find alot on google and here on the search at the top of the page. I don't think you are dealing with anything contagious, maybe just some bad genetics. Many hatchery chickens are so highly bred for being super layers that they have many reproductive disorders.

 

[clrdogrl]

bump for any of the morning Backyard chicken experts!

This girl wasn't a hatchery girl. She was from a breeder who didn't make the cut for his program (her comb is half rose/half single comb looking). But I didn't care. That's why I figured she was slow to mature since she was from a breeder and not a hatchery.