Not sure what the problem is but it's getting worse

[james w]

I've just read the last post about egg-binding and I didn't want to add a comment to somebody else's thread so I thought I'd start a new one.

I have a 2 yr old PR female with a large golf ball (perhaps a little bigger) abdominal swelling. I have caged her and kept her in the dark for a week. I have bathed her (didn't seem to help), inspected her inside (felt nothing) and inspected the swelling externally (felt nothing solid). I have also added sugar to her water (I was told it could help - it hasn't)

She seems to be passing feces (many of which are green but today noticed she was passing milk coloured liquidy feces and the swelling went down considerably.

This evening the swelling is back and I can see she is uncomfortable.

The crazy thing is she has laid two eggs in the last week (these are in the incubator in case she doesn't make it). I was there when she laid the second and she was audibly straining whilst doing so.

I don't know what else to do really. There are no avairian vets in the area.

I fear I may have to cull her.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

 

[LarryPQ]

Have her eggs been unusually large or weak-shelled?

 

[bakerjw]

I wouldn't be thinking about culling just yet. A lot of the swelling posts lately that involve culling have been extreme bloating of the abdomen.

Is the swelling isolated like a lump in the abdomen? If so it almost sounds like it could be a a blockage of some sort. I'd keep that in mind.

I'd certainly get her some calcium as I believe that aids the reproductive process that eggs go through and I'd certainly continue to keep her in the dark. Perhaps light for 4 hours a day. That should shut down egg production.

Does she feel unusually hot under the wings? That seems to be a sign of infection. An antibiotic might be in order as well.

Appetite? Does she eat and drink often?

A lot of questions there but it is all part of the puzzle.

 

[james w]

Well, the two eggs she laid seemed perfecrtly normal. Fingers crossed they hatch.

Is the swelling isolated like a lump in the abdomen?

Yes, I can't see any other swelling

I'd certainly get her some calcium

She already has calcium in her diet.

Does she feel unusually hot under the wings?

Yes, her body is very hot in general. What sort of antibiotic should I use?

Appetite? Does she eat and drink often?

I have withdrawn her food for the last two days to see if a good clearout eases the situation. I will keep an eye out for whether she is eating normally when I return the food today. She seems to be drinking ok.

I am getting quite worried about her now. She is obviously in difficulty.

Thanks for the posts.​

 

[bakerjw]

If she is not extremely bloated then I'd rule out a severe case of EYP.

Please explain obvious difficulty. Hard time breathing? Just generally blech looking?

Most hens already get calcium as part of their diet however it is recommended to give them extra calcium to stimulate smooth muscle contractions in the oviduct. this supposedly keeps the egg train moving. This is advice from others on here.

I use Duramycin on my hens when they need an antibiotic. With a 181 gram bag of Duramycin-10 1 gram = 55 milligrams of Duramycin. If mixed it is only good for a day. I measure out a dose of 4 grams of the powder (200 mg of Duramycin) and feed it the chicken in bread or whatever they will eat. Along with plenty of water. Don't take my word though. Check on dosage and do the calculations for yourself. I do it the way that I do it so that I know what their intake is. You can also use injectable antibiotics from a feed store for more accuracy.

If it were my chicken I'd still be thinking a digestive tract obstruction or at worst a possible tumor. With the high temperature though I'd also be thinking infection and getting antibiotics started asap.

Again my caveat I am not an expert.

 

[james w]

By difficulty I mean that she is straining a lot and looks as if she is in pain or discomfort.

I wonder where I can get some calcium supplements from. Here in Italy it is difficult to come across these things.

I'll keep you posted on how I get on.

Thanks