Please Help!

[jumbojello]

My hen has recently started to display odd behavior and I am very worried. She is a hybrid Rhode Island Red. I started off with three hybrids, all bought from the same place at point of lay. The other two both had severe problems and died. I would like to note that they lived a perfectly clean, healthy, happy lifestyle and their diet and general habits were never changed or messed around with by me or my family. I have had two other purebred hens for the past few years, both bought from good places, and they have never had any problems and are perfectly healthy.
This hen is about 6/7 years of age. I fear that an egg may have broken inside her. I have not seen her defecate in the past two days maybe, but she has been eating and drinking fine. She is in a leaning back, almost 'sitting' position as if she is trying to lay an egg and/or is constipated. Her breathing is quite odd and she appears to be taking in air quite rapidly. Her back end is quite smelly as well.
We keep our hens as pets and my other two have begun laying again and are fit and healthy, ready for spring.
Is it just her genetics that have caused these problems? Is it her age? She and the other hybrids were our first hens and I did not really trust the place that we got them from.
All three had different symptoms but all were obviously ill.
I am keeping her comfortable and I am happy that she is still eating and drinking but I am worried as I don't want to go through the process of a poorly hen again, as it was not pleasant. My father is going to the vet tomorrow with our dogs and is going to ask then but I don't want to leave it too late.

 

[Mattsiewrt94]

Has she later any eggs? She could be egg bound feel around you may be able to feel it

 

[jumbojello]

She hasn't laid any eggs; I have been feeling her and she doesn't feel or look particularly swollen.

 

[BantamLover21]

It does sound like she could be egg bound and/or constipated. I'd give her a nice soak in warm water, and see if that helps her pass an egg or droppings.

 

[jumbojello]

I forgot to mention, I have noticed her sneezing several times now as well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Take a rubber glove, lubricate it and insert a finger into the vent to feel for an egg--if no egg, you can feel for any tumors, and it may break up any stool in their. Hens can get cancer pretty commonly. Check to see if she could have had a prolapse, or any vent gleet. If she is egg bound, that is caused by a lack of calcium, so give her some (crushed Tums, 1/2 calcium tablet, crushed eggshells, liquid calcium) and give her a hot soak to help pass the egg. If she stinks, that is a symptom of vent gleet, as well as a red vent area with white patches, and she may need some probiotics. Is anyone else sneezing? Does she have watery eyes or nasal drainage?

 

[jumbojello]

No, apart from the symptoms she is displaying, her physical appearance is fine. My other hens are perfectly fine. In recent months however (sorry, I was worried when I wrote this so I'm forgetting one or two things) just one of my other chickens has been attacking her. It was only when this hen flew out of the house or food was involved, and she didn't always do it, but could it also be stress involved? I only have three chickens now after the problems we had with the hybrids before.

 

[gander007]

Try separating her in a cage so you can do a constant monitoring of her
and measuring of her water consumption feed intake and poo produced
and make sure she is comfortable with heat and no drafts and normal
sunlight ......
Now she is an older lady so add some Probiotic & Electrolyte to her water
Now it also sound's like she is feeling a little under so if you would like
cook her up a little rice but instead of water use chicken soup ........

 

[jumbojello]

Apparently she did a poo today and looked better after, but I'm keeping an eye on her myself for the time being.

 

[jumbojello]

I felt underneath her today for swelling, and found her quite hard and swollen. I checked the other hens just to be sure and she was the only one. She hasn't laid in a while, due to age and winter. Up until a few days ago she was absolutely fine. After this swelling and straining, I would imagine she is eggbound?