Limping, lethargic chicken

[casportpony]

If you think it might be egg related, look at these:

When I think mine might have an egg issue, I give them Calcium and D. This is exactly what I give them every other day.

 

[jaybanana]

I've been syringe feeding her water, about 22 mls in total yesterday (it's a bit hard to tell, sometimes I miss her mouth!). Is that enough, or should I be giving her more? I usually stop when she starts to get overly agitated. The rickets I've been feeding her (I'd say she has been eating half in the morning, but nothing else) has multivitamins in them, with calcium and iron, but no vit d.

 

[jaybanana]

I've syringe fed her some more water today, maybe 60 or so mls? And will do some more later tonight. She sat in the one spot most of the day, not moving. Her poo has slowly gone from being green and yellow to brown and yellow, to mostly brown. So I'm guessing thats a good thing?

*Sigh* this is all horrible!

 

[jaybanana]

She is most definitely egg bound. I came home tonight and she had gone downhill. White, chalky stuff leaking out of her vent, which I remember reading somewhere had to do with egg binding/perionitis. So I gave her a warm bath, and felt around and thought I could feel something egg shaped, mostly on the left side. So I gloved up, and sure enough, just inside her vent is egg shell. It seems to be sitting slightly below her vent though, and from the diagrams above it looks like it shouldn't be that low?

The upside was that during the blow dry I got a good look at her, and combined with those diagrams, I feel like I know a bit more! I found her crop, and it looked full and was squishy, which was good coz I was worried she wasn't eating enough.

I remember reading that oil doesn't really work, but I thought I'd give it a try. It's fairly warm here as is (11:15 pm and 20c/68f), not hot, but not really cold. I don't have warming lamps or anything, so just stuck my reading lamp in there to try and keep her a bit warmer. Will the light irritate her?

Off to read more about egg binding.

 

[seminolewind]

If you think there's an egg in there, oil up a finger and see if you can oil around the edges of the egg where it may be stuck. If you can get your finger behind the egg , see if you can gently move it forward. Use alot of (olive or mineral oil) and keep spreading the oil around the egg where it is stuck. I had to get my whole finger in there once to coat the sides of the egg so to loosen it.

You do not want to break the egg. However, as a last resort, you may have to. But it's dangerous. You'll have to weigh the danger against dying. Keep informing here. It's time to be more serious than baths and waiting.

 

[seminolewind]

Casportpony, your knowledge is remarkable! I love the pictures. It's teaching me alot!!!!! Thankyou!

 

[seminolewind]

I've syringe fed her some more water today, maybe 60 or so mls? And will do some more later tonight. She sat in the one spot most of the day, not moving. Her poo has slowly gone from being green and yellow to brown and yellow, to mostly brown. So I'm guessing thats a good thing?

*Sigh* this is all horrible!

Brown is good. She must be getting the food.

 

[jaybanana]

If you think there's an egg in there, oil up a finger and see if you can oil around the edges of the egg where it may be stuck.  If you can get your finger behind the egg , see if you can gently move it forward.  Use alot of (olive or mineral oil) and keep spreading the oil around the egg where it is stuck.  I had to get my whole finger in there once to coat the sides of the egg so to loosen it.

You do not want to break the egg.  However, as a last resort, you may have to.  But it's dangerous.  You'll have to weigh the danger against dying.  Keep informing here.  It's time to be more serious than baths and waiting.

 

I kind of did that, I used olive oil and tried to run my finger around the edges of the egg. I dont think I'd be able to get behind it though. I have read about breaking the egg on one of the links posted above, but I'm not confident enough at all to try it. I also live alone (aside from a 6 and 4 yr old!), and I highly doubt any family or friends would appreciate being woken up to come help me. I am praying that she can lay the egg overnight, but I'm worried she won't have the strength.
I was so certain it wasn't egg binding, but I guess I was wrong. I'm just suprised she is still alive, it's been a few days. And it definitely is an egg, as soon as I opened the vent I could see it, so it is right there ready to be laid.

 

[jaybanana]

Also, she is just in a cat box with a towel on the bottom at the moment, but I read somewhere that some chickens will not lay if they feel the conditions are wrong. She usually would lay in straw. Will the difference in bedding prevent her from laying? I put the towel because she kept sliding around on the plastic base, even with straw.
And the place they usually lay is also dark, but I have the lamp on to give extra warmth. Should I turn it off?

 

[seminolewind]

If it's that close that you can see it, keep oiling around the egg, trying to get deeper and deeper with your finger, and maybe be more aggressive about it. I think you're lucky being able to see the egg. Keep working at unsticking the skin from the egg. You can do this.