Only urate poop

[Eddie12109]

Hello.
I have a 9 year old hen. Eddie. I noticed she hasn’t pooped all day today. It’s 5 pm and she has not pooped once. She’s been acting fine, eating and drinking normally. Nothing seems wrong. I put my finger in her vent and didn’t feel anything. I could feel some slightly solid poop in her but no egg.
What could be going on? She pooped normally last night.
She does have arthritis and I noticed her one leg was creaking very loudly during her morning leg stretches.

What could be going wrong @azygous @Wyorp Rock ?

She has been panting all day but that’s not unusual. I can’t think of anything. I’ve seen her eat feed and when I rub her crop I don’t feel any grains, just water so it seems like she is digesting her food. I even gave her a part of a mackerel earlier and I can’t feel it in her crop.
I don’t know what’s going on.

 

[Eddie12109]

She just ate mealworms happily and is now eating more feed.

 

[Eddie12109]

I noticed today that she isn’t able to walk well at all. She used to be able to stand and now she can’t. She’s still trying and acting normal. It just seems one leg isn’t working well.
^her arthritis is quite severe. It’s normal for her not to be able to walk or move. But she can usually stand. Maybe she’s panting a lot because she can’t poop. It’s not that hot out.

 

[Eddie12109]

@Eggcessive @TwoCrows @coach723

 

[Eggcessive]

Is she drinking water? White urates without poop could be that she is dehydrated or she might have an egg or other blockage blocking her vent. At 9 years, she could be coming to the end of her life. If her crop is full and soft, she might be having a slow crop or developing a sour crop. You could offer a tsp of chilled coconut oil cut into small pieces for her to peck up to twice a day. Practice feeling crops in your other hens, to help determine if her crop is empty or full by tomorrow morning. Make aure that the other chickens do not pick on her. She can be separated in dog crate or basket with food and water close to her to reach. I would offer watery chicken feed and a bit of scrambled egg. Making her comfortable is probably the most important thing right now with her age.

 

[Eddie12109]

I only have two hens now and they get along perfectly. So since she has arthritis and is heat sensitive due to a heat stroke three years ago, she is usually on the patio with me and I monitor her.

She has been drinking normally, not too much and not too little. I’ve felt sour crops before and it doesn’t feel like the feel. I will be feeling her crop in the morning tomorrow to make sure it is flat like always.

I will make scrambled eggs and give her some coconut oil right now.

So I had to leave and it seems like she pooped. I will attach a picture. The other hen has been having normal poops and Eddie was sitting very close to it so I am assuming it was hers. It’s obviously not great but it’s somewhat solid. She most likely stepped in it by accident since she can’t walk well. I have noticed the black in that poop often. Some mornings both Eddie and my other hen have cecal poops but instead of brown, their poops are solid black. I will attach that picture too. Is that anything to worry about?
The first picture is of what I expect is Eddie’s current poop and the second is one from a week ago. Both hens were having black cecal poops.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is good that she is pooping now.

 

[Eddie12109]

Yes I am very relieved... but still a little of edge. She’s eating scrambled egg right now and is definitely enjoying it

Do you know if that black poop is normal? I have been thinking about it, it’s been a week since I have seen a brown cecal poop. They usually have black ones. They don’t get fruit or at least they haven’t in the last week, and nothing I can think of that would change the poop color.

 

[azygous]

I've a hunch she could have an egg issue. Is she the one still laying occasionally? Either way, pop a calcium tablet into her beak. It's just good insurance.

Is it still beastly hot there? She may have been a bit dehydrated. It wouldn't hurt to give her some electrolytes if you haven't already. Gatoraid would be fine to give her. Dehydration can cause leg weakness and the symptoms you described.

 

[Eddie12109]

She is not the one laying. She’s the one with arthritis and the cyst on her hock. She did have a random egg a month back but it was a normal egg. I will give her calcium tonight. And some electrolytes in her water in the morning.
After the hurricane it’s actually been cooler than usual. It was probably the same temperature as yesterday and she didn’t pant yesterday while she spent the whole day panting today.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...MI9NzlyP3M-gIVh8aGCh3n6AfkEAQYASABEgLWQ_D_BwE

Are these good? I already give them that once a week.