Poorly Chick

[jo28]

Hi everyone,

Yesterday I noticed our favourite hen Winnie was acting in a perculiar way. She seemed all hunched up with her tail feathers in a downwards position. She was very quiet, which is unusual for winnie as you normally hear her before you see her. She was stood in one position for a long time and not doing much at all.

I immediately googled to see what it could be and thought that she may be egg bound after reading a few entries. It seemed that either putting her in warm water past her vent or holding a warm flannel to it would be the best option.

As Im a dog groomer I have a bath and shower arrrangement in one of the outbuildings so we sat winnie in our hands so her feet werent in the bath and turned on the shower as hot as possible to create steam and held her above it whilst massaging around her vent. after 10mins we put her on the floor and she seemed to have perked up and was fluffng her feathers and then went out into the hen house for something to eat. soon after she passed an egg with no shell. We checked on her around 9pm and she was snuggled with her friends.

Today she was exactly the same but her vent was cntracting constantly. Today I decided to try the bathing as there were no eggs overnight from her or soft ones that we no of. She relaxed into the water and after 10mins i lifted her out and towel dried her. After a couple of mins she pooed a very water/mucasy poo with what looked like yolk in it as it was very yellow however, yellow strands rather than a block yellow colour. she was soon again in the hunched position as if she wanted to lay but nothing happening so i put her in the bath again. 10 mins later again she came out and seemed a lot happier, she was chirping which she hadnt done all day and she was mad to get outside and peck at the ground so i let her for a min as was mindful I didnt want her getting a chill. she passed another poo the same as the other. but her tail was more up in the air as normal rather than downwards, I brought her back in to dry her properly and then it was bed time anyway. she went straight in for something to eat and then got up on her perch.

They are fed on a layers mash mixed with rolled barley and they have barley and layers pellets available to them allday although they are out all day free ranging. Im concious after reading psts that maybe she hasn't enough calcium or grit so i put some sand in tonight and also crushed an egg shell up.

Does anyone have any experience of this? Im not sure if she is egg ound or not but I can't feel any eggs, there are no bumps anywhere but if she isn't producing shells i don't suppose I would feel them. She would probably be about 1 year old if that and hasn't seemed to have any problem previously although when hey first started laying we did get the odd soft shell...

Any comments Appreciated.

Thanks

 

[DDNONIN2016]

Hello and welcome from Southwest Ohio. Glad you joined. I had a pullet with exactly the same symtoms a week ago. Found her in the nest box after dark and when I made her come out she was walking with tail down and oozing egg-white looking liquid from her vent. I seperated her from the rest of the flock (just in case) and the next morning after she was let out into the yard she passed a leathery looking egg shell I assume. Then 5 minutes later she passed bright yellow egg yolk looking liquid. She was quiet and a bit fluffed up for the rest of that day. I added electrolyte (Save A Chick) to her water and the next day she seemed fine and went back to the flock. She has since laid a couple of other eggs with no problems. Sounds like you are doing a great job. Someone with more expertise than me will reply I'm sure. Hope she gets better for you.

 

[jo28]

Hiya,

Thank you for your post.

I will look into that electrolyte, i was going to enquire at the vets in the morning if she hasn't improved as although it's a bill we can't afford shes our little lady and would hate to lose her

 

[dawg53]

Sounds possibly like a calcium deficiency. Add finely crushed eggshells to the feed or provide crushed oyster shells, free choice.
Since egg yolks were inside the vent, there's a risk of bacterial infection.
To prevent bacterial infection, mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in 1 quart of water. Use a large syringe without a needle and draw a syringeful of the mixture. Insert the syringe into her vent and flush, use about 3-4 syringefuls. The liquid may or may not flow from her vent, this is normal. It will prevent infection, like a douche.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us. Great advice given. Hope she feels better soon

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad you joined. Good luck.

 

[DDNONIN2016]

Sounds possibly like a calcium deficiency. Add finely crushed eggshells to the feed or provide crushed oyster shells, free choice.
Since egg yolks were inside the vent, there's a risk of bacterial infection.
To prevent bacterial infection, mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in 1 quart of water. Use a large syringe without a needle and draw a syringeful of the mixture. Insert the syringe into her vent and flush, use about 3-4 syringefuls. The liquid may or may not flow from her vent, this is normal. It will prevent infection, like a douche.

I'm writing this down too. Thanks

 

[Kevin565]

Hope your birds feels better

 

[LilMissChz]

I'm sorry your bird was having trouble. I hope she's doing better now.

Welcome to BYC and greetings from Maryland.

 

[NonnasBabies]

Welcome from Louisiana!

Hope you hen gets better soon!!