My girls neck is swollen and her eggs are missing

[Artemis Mom]

She’s about a year old Amberlink and I wasn’t home yesterday so my boyfriend fed her. My little brother mentioned seeing a snake nearish to the pen and when I went to feed her today her neck and neck flaps are swollen and her eggs are missing. I think it’s a snake bite but I don’t know how to treat it she’s been rubbing her feathers off of her chest for a bit too

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Artemis Mom Welcome To BYC

Can you take her to a vet?
Do you know what type of snake it was?
Do you see any wounds/bites on her (look under the neck feathers) where the snake may have bitten her?

Did she start rubbing the feathers on her chest after you suspect she was bitten? If so, then look at her chest and under her chin/neck for any puncture wounds.

 

[Artemis Mom]

Hi @Artemis Mom Welcome To BYC

Can you take her to a vet?
Do you know what type of snake it was?
Do you see any wounds/bites on her (look under the neck feathers) where the snake may have bitten her?

Did she start rubbing the feathers on her chest after you suspect she was bitten? If so, then look at her chest and under her chin/neck for any puncture wounds.

I couldn’t find a vet that would take her but I took her to a feed store nearby that sells medicine to ask their advice, they gave me probiotics and electrolytes to put in her water. And said that those should help the swelling. The lady that helped me has a flock of her own so I trusted her.

I don’t know what type of snake it was since I didn’t see it but neither I or the lady at the feed store could find any puncture wounds or any blood at all actually.

Actually she’s alway over preened that area of her chest she used to eat the feathers when she was a lot younger but then she stopped eating them but still rubs them a lot. She also likes to wallow with her chest pressed up against a certain tree root. I don’t think that it is related but it does concern me a bit because non of my granny’s hens ever exhibited the same behavior

Thank you very much for responding, I was in a bit of a panic when I posted but I’ve got her inside with me for now so I can keep an eye on her and I’m a bit calmer now. She is still eating and drinking fine and doesn’t act like anything is wrong.

 

[micstrachan]

So she was brooding and now all the eggs are gone after seeing a snake nearby? How is she doing now? Any breathing difficulty?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I couldn’t find a vet that would take her but I took her to a feed store nearby that sells medicine to ask their advice, they gave me probiotics and electrolytes to put in her water. And said that those should help the swelling. The lady that helped me has a flock of her own so I trusted her.

I don’t know what type of snake it was since I didn’t see it but neither I or the lady at the feed store could find any puncture wounds or any blood at all actually.

Actually she’s alway over preened that area of her chest she used to eat the feathers when she was a lot younger but then she stopped eating them but still rubs them a lot. She also likes to wallow with her chest pressed up against a certain tree root. I don’t think that it is related but it does concern me a bit because non of my granny’s hens ever exhibited the same behavior

Thank you very much for responding, I was in a bit of a panic when I posted but I’ve got her inside with me for now so I can keep an eye on her and I’m a bit calmer now. She is still eating and drinking fine and doesn’t act like anything is wrong.

Have you added any new chickens to your flock within the last 30days?
The probiotics and electrolytes won't hurt.
The swelling to me, looks like an allergic reaction. Does she have any swelling of the tongue - is she able to drink o.k.?
Since you have no vet care - you could try a 1 time dose of 1/2 of a 25 mg Benadryl tablet to see if that makes a difference in the swelling.

Plucking out the breast feathers could be habit, but if she was eating them, then she may need more protein. Check her for lice/mites - those can cause irritation and excess plucking. Another thing that comes to mind - does her crop empty overnight - could be she has some crop problems and is plucking at her breast in discomfort.

Keep us posted.

 

[micstrachan]

I, too, was wondering about the crop with the breast plucking. Great to know about the benadryl! It crossed my mind, but had never heard of administering it to chickens.

 

[Artemis Mom]

No new birds and no breathing difficulties, she’s drinking and eating fine. She acts like she doesn’t know anything is wrong. And the swelling has gone down this morning but isn’t all gone yet.

She stopped eating the feathers months ago. But since that patch stays bald is the only reason I mentioned it.

Her crop is softer in the morning so I think it’s emptying alright but I keep some grit in her pen just in case. She always was a little obsessive about that area even when she was a baby.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her crop is softer in the morning so I think it’s emptying alright but I keep some grit in her pen just in case. She always was a little obsessive about that area even when she was a baby.

Glad to hear that she is acting normal, eating/drinking and seems to not notice anything wrong

You mention that her crop is "softer" in the mornings - does that mean she still has food in the crop when she wakes up (before eating/drinking)?

Check her crop again - it should be full/firm at night when she goes to roost and empty/flat in the morning before she eats/drinks. If she still has food in it or it feels a bit boggy/doughy or has anything in there, then she's having a few issues.
Let us know.

 

[Eggcessive]

It will be interesting to note if the benadryl helps. That was a good idea from WR. It looks like some chickens from past threads here who have suffered a tick or spider bite. Ticks can inject an anticoagulant which may cause bleeding into the tissue, thus causing the swollen bluish wattles. I would look for ticks, but also look her over for a tick or snakebite.

There are other worse causes for swollen bluish wattles, such as fowl cholera and other infectious diseases.