Need advice on a sick hen

[Rosy10]

Peach appreciates it too!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She has perked up a little bit since last night. I have been massaging her and I gave her coconut oil last night too. There's more color in her face. She's taking a couple soft treats, cooked rice spaghetti noodles (not a lot). She's still drinking a lot of water. I'm going to continue to give her a nutritional supplement. Thanks for all your advice, I really appreciate it!

Was her crop empty this morning before she had anything to eat/drink?

Peaches, what a great name for her! She looks like a sweet girl
The egg has calcium deposits. Do you give oyster shell free choice? What type of feed?
Calcium deposits on eggs can be from excess calcium in the diet (who would think that for a hen?) sometimes a hen may not process nutrients like they should, just like humans.
Other causes of eggs like that is a defective shell gland- you mentioned she has always laid eggs like this, so this may be the problem. Also conflict/disturbances during the shell making process - again, if she's always done this, then I would think it's a shell gland problem. In that case, you wouldn't be able to correct it.

 

[Rosy10]

I have been giving them oyster shells free choice. I was buying the layer feed from TCS but I heard that it wasn't great so I am mixing the bottom of my TCS bag with a new brand. I haven't found anywhere to buy a good quality feed near me. I live in Toronto.

 

[Rosy10]

Update! She seems to have turned a corner tonight. She gobbled tons of wet Mash and was a bit feisty when I tried to give her medication. She has been vomiting a bit of water occasionally when she bends down to eat or drink so I picked her bowls above-the-ground. Why is she doing that? It doesn't seem to bother her but I'm worried about aspiration.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have been giving them oyster shells free choice. I was buying the layer feed from TCS but I heard that it wasn't great so I am mixing the bottom of my TCS bag with a new brand. I haven't found anywhere to buy a good quality feed near me. I live in Toronto.

Update! She seems to have turned a corner tonight. She gobbled tons of wet Mash and was a bit feisty when I tried to give her medication. She has been vomiting a bit of water occasionally when she bends down to eat or drink so I picked her bowls above-the-ground. Why is she doing that? It doesn't seem to bother her but I'm worried about aspiration.

It's good that she has an appetite. The spewing back up water may be because she's overdrinking/eating or she may still be having some crop issues. I would still monitor the crop every morning before she eats/drinks for several more days to see that it's emptying.

Have you continued with the antibiotics? Those may have helped her, especially if she has inflammation in the oviduct like Salpingitis. Sometimes if caught early, antibiotics can treat that for a short period of time.

Does your TSC carry any other poultry feed? Look at what they keep in stock and compare the feed tags - I would think that they have something suitable, like Purina Layena or Flock raiser. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...rision-chart-feed-brand-names-needed.1243483/

 

[Rosy10]

Thanks again! I will monitor her closely for the next couple days. She certainly has been drinking an excess of water. tomorrow is supposed to be the last day in her course of antibiotics. She is still isolated from the other chickens. How long should I keep her in isolation?

 

[micstrachan]

Glad to hear she is improving!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks again! I will monitor her closely for the next couple days. She certainly has been drinking an excess of water. tomorrow is supposed to be the last day in her course of antibiotics. She is still isolated from the other chickens. How long should I keep her in isolation?

Once you finish the antibiotics, if she is alert and perky, then I would start re-integration. You can always pull her back out if she goes back down.
You may have to cage her in the run if she's been away for a few days. Each group of chickens is different. Some accept their flock mate back no problems, while others not so much.

 

[Rosy10]

Peach seems almost back to her old self. She had a normal poop last night for the first time in over a week. There was still quite a bit of water past with it, but she finally ate enough food to have a real movement. She passed another one of those rubbery chunks today or last night I guess. It certainly looks like lash material to me from what I've been shown/read about. Should I worry about the rest of my flock? Is peach going to recover from this? I mean I feel like she's out of the woods but what does her long-term prognosis look like? Here are a couple pictures the material she passed. It looked identical to the two she previously passed. One was this size and the first of the 3 was smaller. She has been devouring wet mash since last night! Thank you so much to everybody who helped with their wonderful and supportive advice, and to all those rooting for peach! The community spirit here is a singularly wonderful thing.

 

[Rosy10]

Here are the pictures