Lethargic hen - what to do?

[azygous]

The reason I suggest calcium citrate is because it's easiest of the three different forms of calcium to absorb, and in a crisis, it's speed you want. Tums is calcium carbonate as is oyster shell and bone. This form is the most difficult to digest, so it isn't my first choice in a crisis. But Tums will work in a pinch. It's important to get some form of calcium into her now so it can start to work. It can be a life or death matter.

You can shop for the citrate form later.

 

[Alicethewhiterabbit]

I don’t know how to palpate a chicken do you have any links to info?

I don’t know how to palpate a chicken do you have any links to info??

By palpate i just mean feel. Make sure she is in a warm area with good air circulation. When giving the warm epsonsalt bath i also had awarm towel and heating pad waiting so she didnt catch a chill. How is she doing now? Eating drink?

 

[Alicethewhiterabbit]

https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/egg-bound-chicken/


https://cs-tf.com/egg-bound-chicken-causes-symptoms-treatment-prevention/

What i did was give a calcium and magnesium supplement in a sugar water. I also after 3 soaks in warm epson salt baths (at 3 to 5 minutes each - do for as long as the your hen likes it and the water stays warm)Then I gently massages the egg out with coconut oil rubbing her vent. If it’s an egg with no hard outer shell you need to gently guide the egg out.
When you take your bird out of the bath make sure she does not get chilled.

At the vet they will give her a magnesium and calcium shot.

How is she doing now? What are her current symptoms. Have you given her calcium and magnesium ?

 

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

I just gave her around 100mg of the powdered bone calcium mixed with a spoonful of applesauce. She ate it a little bit when I dipped her beak in it, but I still ended up having to open her beak and feed it to her. After that, I put her down on the ground, she walked a couple steps and pooped out a lot of liquid with solid white that looks like soft egg to me. Then I dipped her beak in water on the spoon and she drank it a little, but again hardly, so I used the dropper to give her water.

There was also some liquid with white stuff on the nesting pad when I went to check on her, where her booty was. I also felt her crop and it feels very big, full and squishy, feels like there is some feed in there, but I don’t think she had eaten since the evening at least, so I don’t know why it feels so full.

Then she looked around, preened herself a bit and walked back into the nesting box

 

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

Can anyone tell me if this is indeed soft egg?

 

[Alicethewhiterabbit]

To me it doesnt look to be a soft egg but maybe someone else with this experience can chime in. To me ot looks like urates. (Ive just had a whole egg with out a shell)

 

[Alicethewhiterabbit]

Sounds like shes not digesting her food. Will she let you softly massage her crop?

 

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

Sounds like shes not digesting her food. Will she let you softly massage her crop?

She will, she’s very docile. I’m thinking it could be sour crop? Sounds like it to me. I will have to check it again in the morning

 

[Alicethewhiterabbit]

How is your hen doing?

 

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

How is your hen doing?

She is doing okay, she ran back to the other chickens today and jumped on a roost. But she’s still sad, she’s back in the garage with some classical music and an open window. I’m assuming she has sour crop and treating her as such with ACV water, kefir and going to try this mixture from a BYC article:

1/16 teaspoon Ginger Powder (you can even use the contents of a human Ginger capsule)
1/16 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
1/16 teaspoon Cayenne Powder
1 teaspoon of Lemon Juice

Her bottom feels a little squishy, but I went to feel other similarly fluffy hens and their bottoms are also a little squishy so I assume it’s normal. Hers feels slightly more squishy than theirs though. She did her first poop that looks more normal (green with white urate), still liquid with it though and it was tiny.