Lola's outside and walking normally! YAY!!!!

[Chick named Lola]

Not Lola!!! Please God, don't let anything happen to her! I can barely see what I'm typing because I cannot stop crying....just went out to check on the girls (all in various stages of their first molt). Lola is the only one going thru a hard molt. Earlier this am I notice when I let them out to run around she was a little wobbly but seemed to straighten up rather quickly...now this afternoon they were on the perch and she jumped down with the others...but it was the same thing...wobbly, crowching down like she wants to lay and egg or something. Then she tried to lay down which I've never seen her do in the run like she was just soooo tired. Her legs seem ok, no swelling. I've seen her rest on each leg independently. I didn't worm yet this year as I wasn't sure since they are molting.... They've been getting tuna for extra protien 2-3 times a week.

What could it be? I am so beyond upset right now I think I'm gonna puke.....

 

[Chick named Lola]

I brought her in just to be warm/quiet etc... Her crop is totally empty...put some scrambled eggs and bowl of water in with her...I don't know what else to do. Does anyone have any idea's?

 

[Chick named Lola]

No interest in scrambled eggs...she usually devours them..I just wish I had an idea of what is wrong and what I can do for her. I called the chicken vet but no return call yet.

 

[CamiWammiBammi]

Go on google, (like o great another person saying LOOK AT GOOGLE!) but look up Egg Bound symptoms, and she if she has any of them. Feel her stomach, and she if there's a hard shape, such as an egg. And work from there. Chop of small amounts of food, and put little itty bitty pieces in her mouth for energy. Check her vents, and see if anythings abnormal. Put some olive oil on a Q-Tip and (here comes the ... not so fun part...) and put it in her vent, if you feel like there's an egg in there. With the egg bound part, put her on a heating pad, and put it on the low setting. Get a cloth, soak it in warm water and put it on her back, and massage her stomach. Try and get the egg out WITHOUT breaking it.

It sounds like an egg bound hen.. if she isn't PM me and I'll be right back to help!

 

[Chick named Lola]

I didn't know they could get egg bound when they are molting. She stopped laying like a week ago...I did get her to eat a bit of tuna so that made me feel a bit better. Thank you so much for your response... I"m just besides myself right now. I love her so much. This is so pathetic, but I cannot stop crying just thinking anything is wrong with her. Oh the joys of owning animals. Thank goodness there is much more real joy than sorrow for the most part.

I will do everything you said. One question should I leave the heating pad inside the dog crate or will enough heat come thru if I put it underneath the plastic dog crate? (If I feel an egg of course)

Thank you, thank you, thank you! At least I have a direction to go instead of sitting here with my thumb up my bum worrying myself to death.

You ROCK!

 

[sherylreno]

Is her tummy swollen at all? If she was egg bound then it should be swollen. A hard molt and take a lot out of a chicken too so she might not be egg bound.

Please let us know

 

[Chick named Lola]

I followed Cammi's advice and checked her abdomen and vent. Nothing, firm but soft...I didn't feel any egg. Her crop is totally empty and she had no interest in one of her fav's scrambled eggs. But I got some really well drained tuna and she took a couple of bites. That's a good thing, I do know that. whew!
Another friend suggested hypothermia as she is pretty nekkid...I'll post a pic...anyway she had a chicken with similar symptoms...and it turned out to hypothermia. She suggested to bring her in a warm, quiet room in a dog crate with newspaper and food and water of course. So my sweet, precious girl is back in her old bedroom upstairs I hope getting warm and better. I have no clue if this is what the problem is, I hope so. I told Cammi, I'm scared to death to go check on her in the morning.

 

[Chick named Lola]

I took this pic of Lola this am...poor girl.




I know they can get alot more nekkid is this enough to give her hypothermia? Her entire underside is pretty much bare, how can she keep warm?

 

[sherylreno]

I think you are right there. She must be really cold. I would bring her in and see if she does better. Are you sure she didn't go broody and pulled her feathers out so she would keep eggs warm? They do that too so it could be that and if she's broody then she wouldn't want to eat.

 

[Chick named Lola]

Yayyy! Lola made it thru the night! She happily ate scrambled eggs, tuna and some mealworms. I haven'
t seen her walk today...she's laying down in the dog crate and kinda scared to come out. She hasn't been in the house since she was a chick. Anyway, I know she will be much happier outside with her girls but its only getting up to 50 day but with sunshine...do you all think it's warm enough to put her out till later on? I need a chicken winter coat for her! When I carried her in last night I did feel some prickly quills so I think she must be growing some of them back...how long will it take?