I've had an 11 month old Araucana pullet for exactly one month now, who has not laid an egg. I had her shipped from PA from an NPIP breeder. He had her in a grow out pen with many others and said he did not know if she was laying or not. The past week she has been acting lethargic and keeping her eyes closed a lot. She did not show any signs of contagious-type illness (no sneezing, no nasal discharge, etc) but did have some watery diarrhea. She had continue to drink (A LOT) and eat a little up until today. When I came home from work today she was standing in the same spot I had last seen her in this morning. All along I suspect she may be laying internally, but never felt any abdominal swelling. I decided to bring her in and soak her in a warm epsom salts bath. Bad idea - it killed her.
As soon as I put her in the bath she started breathing heavy, and made some choking/gurgling sounds. A few times it looked as if she passed out. I soaked her for 20 mins, and I wrapped her in a towel on started to dry her off. I looked at her vent and it felt and looked really swollen, more so than it did before the bath. She jerked her head around towards her vent a couple times like she was trying to preen. A few minutes later she arched her head back and convulsed HARD. I could barely hang on to her. As she died she threw up a bunch of yellow stuff that looked like egg yolk.
My three questions: Did I kill her by soaking her in a warm epsom bath??
Is it possible that is egg material she threw up??
Can someone direct me to an article or thread on how to do an abdominal necropsy to check for internal laying?
Here are some pics of her stance before the bath, her vent (which to me felt a swollen just around the perimeter), and what she vomitted as she died. Tagging my emergency saviors: @azygous @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock
As soon as I put her in the bath she started breathing heavy, and made some choking/gurgling sounds. A few times it looked as if she passed out. I soaked her for 20 mins, and I wrapped her in a towel on started to dry her off. I looked at her vent and it felt and looked really swollen, more so than it did before the bath. She jerked her head around towards her vent a couple times like she was trying to preen. A few minutes later she arched her head back and convulsed HARD. I could barely hang on to her. As she died she threw up a bunch of yellow stuff that looked like egg yolk.
My three questions: Did I kill her by soaking her in a warm epsom bath??
Is it possible that is egg material she threw up??
Can someone direct me to an article or thread on how to do an abdominal necropsy to check for internal laying?
Here are some pics of her stance before the bath, her vent (which to me felt a swollen just around the perimeter), and what she vomitted as she died. Tagging my emergency saviors: @azygous @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock
