Is my Brahma sick?

[chuckun]

Hi all you experienced hen keepers,

I have a flock of three hens, all 3.5 years old. Laying has tapered off from time to time, sometimes for months, which is fine. For the past several weeks my Brahma is the only hen not laying.

Two days ago I noticed she had muddy looking poop stuck to her booty down. She also seemed less active than the others, but still eating and drinking. I gave them all yogurt with fresh garlic and honey.

The situation remained the same so this morning we brought her into a warm tub bath, which she allowed and seemed to enjoy. We gently dissolved all the dried poop and then put her out in the sun. There was nothing unusual about her poop, but it usually doesn't stick like this - she always has a clean, fluffy bottom.

Now she is mostly just staying put, standing up, and is not eating the treats I gave her. I separated her because one of the other hens had been pecking at her still-damp bottom.

Her comb looks fine, and her vent seems healthy. Will this pass, or should I intervene somehow? We have no chicken vet nearby as far as I know.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Eggcessive]

She is a beauty. Some chickens just don’t lay eggs for very long, and there are a lot of common reproductive problems that some suffer from. Internal laying, salpingitis, impacted oviduct, and egg yolk peritonitis are some of the problems that affect hens. Loose poops, poor appetite, weight loss, an enlarged lower belly between the legs, and having problems walking or preferring to sit can be common symptoms.

You may want to treat her with some antibiotics to see if she starts to feel better. Amoxicillin or Baytril are two that some use, and although they cannot cure those problems, they may make her feel better for a time. Offer her some soft egg, wet chicken feed, or some tuna or liver for treats.

I have mostly older hens from 5-7 years old and only a few still lay eggs. Chickens may get dirty vents when they have a little diarrhea, and then everything starts sticking.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you remember when she last laid an egg? I would insert a finger into her vent an inch or two (wear a disposable glove) just to make sure that she is not egg bound.
Here is some reading:
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

http://www.regenbiocorps.com/index.php/poultry-diseases/17-disorders-of-reproductive-systems

 

[chuckun]

Thank you so much for the helpful responses!

The last time I know she laid an egg was Christmas, except we had an extra egg the other day and it might have been hers, or else my Orpington laid two that day (which would be very unusual).

I did not feel an egg in her vent, but then I don't know that I would recognize egg-binding by internal any more than by external feel. She walks normally and looks totally healthy. But she is lethargic - sitting or standing in place.

I gave her poultry nutri-drench diluted in water, but she took very little and has no interest in food now. I tried to give her coconut oil (which I read on this site is an egg-binding remedy), but she didn't want it. There are so many things it could be.

I found a nearby vet and made the earliest appointment I could, tomorrow morning. I will keep you posted!

 

[Eggcessive]

You can give the NutriDrench undiluted 3 ml to her slowly, a drop at a time. Let us know how it goes at the vet.

 

[chuckun]

Thank you again for your advice and for caring. As the day wore on, my Brahma had some good moments but on balance got worse, standing in place or sitting on the ground, closing her eyes. Still clear-eyed and able to get up but really not interested in anything. Suddenly this afternoon I panicked and thought she might be dying.

So I was able to take her in to see the "exotics" vet on an emergency basis. As I carried her to the car she began vomiting clear, very foul-smelling liquid. The vet examined her and said my Brahma was so sick she was beyond saving! She had a distended crop full of mucous and a distended belly, and was thin. Sadly, the vet did not believe she could save my girl without risking a lot of suffering, and she recommended putting her down.

This all came as such a shock because she always felt healthy and hefty under her glorious plumage whenever we held her in our arms. The photo I posted earlier was of her this morning. I saw NO signs of illness until two days ago. With a flock of just three, surely I would have picked up on something. She hadn't laid an egg in a while, but then I thought that's usually normal.

We are devastated and feel terrible for not catching this sooner. I was so focused on egg-binding, poop quality, and appetite, I evidently missed other important things. I am going to read up more on what a healthy crop and bone body feel like.

It's really hard to post this. She was so lovely and depended on us to care for her.

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry that you lost her so suddenly. She had signs of a crop problem, but I have had hens with reproductive problems and crop problems at the same time. Any sickness can cause a crop to become non-functioning, so don’t feel bad that you were only looking at a reproductive problem. We all learn from having a sick chicken. I usually do a necropsy on any that die, just to see if there are any obvious problems. When one gets sick, I look them over, chcecking the crop, feeling for weight loss in the breast area, feeling fo enlargement in the lower belly, look at droppings, and look for lice or mites. That is about all we can do. I am glad that you got her to the vet, and learned what was going on. It was probably not something that you could have helped.