Options for egg bound bantam pullet

[Wyorp Rock]

My suggestion is to observe her for one more day before you embark on a treatment. Her behavior being "off" is a signal to observe and investigate. Jumping into a treatment before you have accumulated enough information to point you in a direction may be inadvisable. Quite often, we see a hen have an off day and bounce right back to being normal the next day. This has happened to me with my chickens more times than I can count.

The green poop, normally formed, could be merely green vegetation. I see this in my flock a lot. Green poop that is from a sick chicken is usually green bile chunks floating in a puddle of white, runny mucous.

Orange-red intestinal lining in no way indicates coccidiosis. It's not very likely your flock is having another bout of it so soon. They usually enjoy a period of resistance afterward. Treating with Corid too often risks setting up your chickens for a thiamine deficiency. That is something that can open a can of worms you would rather not have to deal with.

Your Silkie may be transitioning from brooding the chicks to getting back her normal life. Her hormones are dwindling, and that may have an effect on her behavior. Think how "off" a woman feels after giving birth and nursing, then having that halt. Hormones can really take a toll, both coming and going.

If this hen is getting sick, you will see more definite signs in the morning and by noon tomorrow, you will have a good handle on whether she's sick or not. Also, take this opportunity to check her crop in the morning so you can rule that out.

So well said! I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[azygous]

That green poop appears to me to have vegetation fibers in it. There's nothing that raises a red flag in my mind. Let's see how our girl is tomorrow. I'm betting she's going to be sneaking off without those chicks in search of her former life.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Good morning! Bella's crop still feels very similar if not the same as last night. Unfortunately I did find some spilled feed on their floor and the chicks were enjoying that this morning when I came out to open their door. Their grit bowl had also been disturbed by someone at some point. Bella is still preferring to sit in the corner but at 1am this morning, I came out to check on them and she was covering her chicks. I brought her into my shop and she left me a poop sample. It's still dark green and has a lot of small rocks. I'm wondering if she's injested too much junk. One piece looks like it's possibly a piece of glass. I'll share a picture of her poop below

 

[HeatherKellyB]

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I also noticed one of the Dutch pullets was sneezing a little. Eyes and nostrils are clear on all 3 Dutch pullets and Bella.

 

[azygous]

Hope you haven't tossed that poop. If you have a magnifying lens, and all chicken keepers should invest in one, pluck out what you think might be glass and inspect it under magnification.

Also, that "pig tail" in the first photo has what looks to be lash material on the low end, and I am suspicious about that elongated shape. Slice into the lower lash appearing material and also cut into the pig tail and see what the core looks like. If it's a hard twist of grass stems, she may have the need for some oil therapy to move stuff out of her crop and gizzard. Her sluggish behavior lends weight to a possible crop or gizzard impaction, although it probably is mild.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I pulled it out of the trash to look at it better. The neon green looking piece seems to be something really small and soft I'll look closer at the glass looking pieces when I'm done with work.

 

[NatJ]

Glass is only dangerous if it has sharp edges. Once it's rounded off, it's as safe as any other rock.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Polished "glass" is likely oyster shell that has been through the gizzard.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

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