Is my hen egg bound? Panting, struggling to breath, vent pulsing

[demonic]

This is one of my hens. She is a leghorn and delaware mix. She was a very good layer, and rarely skipped laying. However, she was going through her first molt so she stopped. (In the picture you can see she’s still growing her feathers back) We gave her a quick bath yesterday to clean her vent and under the wings because one of our flock members has lice so we wanted to quickly treat the whole flock even thought she acted completely fine. Today, it looks like she’s struggling to breath, and she just sits down a lot on the dirt. Her butt and vent is pulsing, and it also seems like her stomach has no food in it like she wasn’t eating today. She also pants. These are pictures of her vent and her stomach. She walks normally though.

 

[demonic]

This is a video of her

 

[demonic]

@Eggcessive @aart @sourland

 

[aart]

However, she was going through her first molt so she stopped. (In the picture you can see she’s still growing her feathers back)

When did her molt start...last fall?
Doesn't really look like the feathers are growing back.
Do you have a cock/erel?
How old is she, in months?

We gave her a quick bath yesterday to clean her vent and under the wings because one of our flock members has lice so we wanted to quickly treat the whole flock even thought she acted completely fine.

What did you bath her in?
Did she get any water around her head while being bathed?
Any other lice treatment applied?

Today, it looks like she’s struggling to breath, and she just sits down a lot on the dirt. Her butt and vent is pulsing, and it also seems like her stomach has no food in it like she wasn’t eating today. She also pants.

Panting can be from respiratory issues, or hot weather or stress.
Not unusual for vent to pulse when breathing hard.

You mean her crop is empty?
Have you seen her eat or drink recently?

This is what I would do:
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.



Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[demonic]

When did her molt start...last fall?
Doesn't really look like the feathers are growing back.
Do you have a cock/erel?
How old is she, in months?


What did you bath her in?
Did she get any water around her head while being bathed?
Any other lice treatment applied?


Panting can be from respiratory issues, or hot weather or stress.
Not unusual for vent to pulse when breathing hard.

You mean her crop is empty?
Have you seen her eat or drink recently?

This is what I would do:
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.



Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

Her molt started maybe 1-2 months ago, I don’t know exactly. We just bathed her in water, nothing special. We put a little DE on her and the whole flock but didn’t put any actual poultry lice spray. We don’t have a cockerel, we had one before and she was abused by him but we got rid of him and she layed eggs a little after that. We didn’t put any water or anything over her head. Her stool are usually pretty big but yesterday after her quick bath she had a very small and kind of liquid one but we didn’t think much of it. Earlier today, her stool was the same but this is her stool as of now. Looks like an egg possibly broke inside her and that is the yolk mixed with stool. We gave her an epsom salt bath earlier and she seemed to calm down a little after that and her breathing slowed down a little but she still isn’t that good. She is around 1 year and 2 months old. She is eating a little but not drinking. I tried syringe feeding her but she is very strong and fights back

 

[aart]

I tried syringe feeding her but she is very strong and fights back

Be very careful with this....maybe you've seen this, but:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[demonic]

Be very careful with this....maybe you've seen this, but:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

Yeah, we have syringe fed hens before When they were sick but those were small hens who we raised since chicks and who were friendly. Ive gotten this hen when she was 4 or 5 months old And she’s a little skittish so hopefully we can successfully syringe feed her tomorrow because she needs to stay hydrated

 

[demonic]

Be very careful with this....maybe you've seen this, but:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

I found this on her foot. Is this bumble foot?

 

[aart]

I found this on her foot. Is this bumble foot?

Need a pic showing the whole thing.

 

[demonic]

Need a pic showing the whole thing.

I washed it and pretty sure it came off