New layer suddenly lethargic, possibly egg bound?

[maryn7]

My OE has been laying for 10 days. This morning she was in the box early - she's usually in about two hours later. And was very quiet -also unusual. She was in there about 30-40 minutes. But i didn't think anything of it, until she came out to the run. She was just standing in the run, eyes closed, one foot up.

She's got no energy, won't eat or drink, closing eyes, etc. We are trying an Epsom salts bath and putting some savachick into her. She did manage to poop, but it was just clear and watery.

Pictures of the chicken, the poop and her egg yesterday; it had a gradient and had a little bit of calcium spots on it. And it was a little smaller than what she'd been doing 44g.

Our assumption is a bound egg, but if you have any ideas - seems at this point like she might not make it. Going to let her dry off and hang out on her own in the garage. She's in her own box with shavings, watered food with sprinkled oyster shell on top, and saveachick in the water.

But she's just sitting there, and her abdomen seems to be doing a rhythmic thing. She also kind of moves her beak forward every once in a while - but just the top - like she's scrunching her nose.

Any advice appreciated. Do they sometimes just pass? These are my first chickens, so I don't feel confident about trying to fish around in her for the egg or anything.

Thanks.

 

[azygous]

Right now, first thing, give her a calcium tablet, at minimum 500mg. This will strengthen her contractions and help her get the egg out.

You may be new to chickens, but you should still listen to that intuitive voice. You've come to know your chickens' behavior and can feel when it is "off".

She does have all the symptoms of a blockage. Be sure she has water to drink as she will likely be thirsty, losing fluids due to the blockage.

A little moist heat can also help, but she doesn't need any more baths which can add to her stress. A moist towel with a heating pad under it will provide this moist heat. Then place her in a quiet place and leave her alone except to check on her occasionally.

Yes, chickens can die from this.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Poor baby - best wishes for her.

 

[maryn7]

Right now, first thing, give her a calcium tablet, at minimum 500mg. This will strengthen her contractions and help her get the egg out.

You may be new to chickens, but you should still listen to that intuitive voice. You've come to know your chickens' behavior and can feel when it is "off".

She does have all the symptoms of a blockage. Be sure she has water to drink as she will likely be thirsty, losing fluids due to the blockage.

A little moist heat can also help, but she doesn't need any more baths which can add to her stress. A moist towel with a heating pad under it will provide this moist heat. Then place her in a quiet place and leave her alone except to check on her occasionally.

Yes, chickens can die from this.

Ok going to get the calcium now. I've seen it online crushed up and then delivered via feed, but I can't get her to eat or drink at all right now. What's the best way to get it in her?

She was 100% fine yesterday at bedtime. I feel so bad for her.

 

[LaFleche]

Could be she is having trouble passing an egg without shell.

 

[azygous]

What @LaFleche said, it's entirely possible a shell-less egg is lodged inside since they are much harder to expel.

You just pop the pill directly into her beak. It will go down with no problem. Here's my tutorial as to why it's easier for a small chicken to swallow a large pill than for us humans.

We think chickens must have a problem swallowing a large pill just because we do. But their digestive process is different from ours. We begin the digestive process by chewing first, then swallowing. We aren't meant to swallow large chunks. We naturally choke.

Chickens don't have teeth for a good reason. They don't need them. Their digestive process begins after they swallow. The food goes directly into their crop without passing "Go", and then it trickles down into their gizzard where the "chewing" action goes into full swing.

Therefore, chickens can amaze us by swallowing things that we think would choke them, large pills included. But they actually have no problem. Slip the pill into the beak and you'll see it disappear like magic. Unless you don't get it far enough back on the tongue. Chickens can rival dogs and cats at firing a pill across the room like a guided missile, but it's not because they aren't able to swallow it easily.

 

[maryn7]

OK, we got a calcium pill in her; it's a 600mg with D3, too. Squirted a little of a calcium gluconate in her, too (just a little; it was a liquid so figured she could use it). And have layer feed and saveachick waiting if/when she feels like eating or drinking. She's in the garage in a big bin with some shavings - just laying on the ground, exhausted with her poor butt just doing little thrusts. Just leaving her be for a while - she's had a rough morning.

I'd posted the picture of that ombre egg yesterday. We cracked it this morning to eat, and realized it was extremely thin. The others have been nearly unbreakable. She's been laying every day since she started last Tuesday, so I think she just ran short on calcium. She's had oyster shell available since before laying and I've seen her eat it - but I went and got layer feed today, too, so that my other girls don't run into the same problem.

If she can pass this egg - will she be happy to do it where she's at right now? or should I move her back into the coop at some point today so she has access to her laying box?

Thanks for the advice and support. I feel so bad for her and that it was my fault for not getting enough calcium in her.

 

[azygous]

Leave her where she is. The egg will slip out when it's ready. She needs rest and quiet as you are already aware.

We can't know a hen is getting low on calcium until she runs into problems. It can be a simple thing like a thin shell. That's when you pop a calcium tablet into her beak. I keep a bottle of calcium citrate in the run so I can dose a hen immediately when she give me a sign her shell gland is calcium challenged.

 

[maryn7]

Got it - thanks. I'll check on her in a few hours.

Really appreciate all this advice, friends. I'll update when she's through it, one way or another, but hoping we caught her in time.

 

[NewBoots]

Right now, first thing, give her a calcium tablet, at minimum 500mg. This will strengthen her contractions and help her get the egg out.

You may be new to chickens, but you should still listen to that intuitive voice. You've come to know your chickens' behavior and can feel when it is "off".

She does have all the symptoms of a blockage. Be sure she has water to drink as she will likely be thirsty, losing fluids due to the blockage.

A little moist heat can also help, but she doesn't need any more baths which can add to her stress. A moist towel with a heating pad under it will provide this moist heat. Then place her in a quiet place and leave her alone except to check on her occasionally.

Yes, chickens can die from this.

Thank you for this advice, I will get a bottle for the coop myself.