My hen pooped a hairball?

[PileatedFarms]

I have a Cuckoo Maran hen that is about 10 months old. Last week she started acting just a bit off, puffy and off to the side by herself. She had some watery poops so I brought her inside for a night with ACV and some protein (eggs/meat). That night she pooped what looked to be a small 1in long hairball, and I think she immediately felt better. I put her back outside the next morning and she was okay. Flash forward four days and I just went out to find her standing off to the side with her butt down. We had a hen recently be egg bound so I thought she could be.

BUT THEN

I pick her up and notice she has frozen watery poop on her butt feathers and I take a look at her vent to find a hairball type poop stuck halfway out of her. I gently pulled on it and some came out, broke off, and I gently kept pulling and THIS CAME OUT! WHAT THE HECK?!

It is hard as a rock, and completely made of organic material. No worms, blood, intestines, anything like that. It looks to be all straw/hay and wound up just like a hairball. I have her inside again with some warm ACV water and I'm making her an egg but what the heck? How on Earth could that have all gone through her crop no problem?

 

[orelsi]

I've never seen one that big. It's huge! I've seen balls of undigested material, usually a type of hard grass or straw. I guess this formed later on in her intestines to that size.

I would appreciate it if you updated the thread with her condition in the next few days. This is informative.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have Poultry granite grit available to help her gizzard grind up feed and grasses? She may be a little dehydrated or needing grit. Is she eating her feed and drinking well? Sometimes they will eat weird things like bedding or junk in the yard. I might give her some chilled coconut oil cut into small pieces to peck, about 1-2 tsp a day, to help break up any constipation. Also check her crop in early morning to make sure that her crop is empty. If it is full let us know that if it is full and firm, doughy, or puffy.

 

[PileatedFarms]

Update:

Merlin is back out with the flock! After bringing her in after the blockage I pulled out she pooped the first normal looking poop I'd seen from her. She is eating and drinking normal and no longer off to the side. I can't imagine she would have survived if I hadn't helped (so so gently) pull that blockage out since it was partially frozen. Woohoo for Merlin!