Possible egg bound chicken that hasn’t laid in a long time.

[Cara chicks mom]

5-1-17
I know there other forums that maybe able to answer my question and if there is one I apologize. I have a few factors I am having a hard time finding. I will keep looking but scared to lose her. (I have a reading disability so sorry if this does flow perfectly

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I have a 4 year old barred rock, Miss Turkey, that doesn’t feel good. She is a little lethargic and has had her tail down today. I believe she maybe egg bound. This is a possibility since she hasn’t really laid in a very long time. About 1.5 years. the only egg I have gotten from her was on March 5th. It was the size of a pullet egg. I didn’t worry too much because I was told not to. That there are several reasons she may not lay and if she looks ok she is probably fine. She may be trying to lay again and is now getting bond up.
Deals
She has been acting slow with her tail down only for the past day
· She is having a harder time lately getting down from the roosting bar. They have an open, raised box in the coop that she jumps on to first so it hasn't been to big of a problem . I don’t usually see her get up but guessing she gets up the same way
· As far as I have seen she is eating, drinking water and pooping
· It is hard to tell because she is fluffy and I don’t normally grab her tummy but there is a possibility it is distended some
· Not laying. She is the oldest but no one else is having problems, so I don’t think it is diet or environment. She likes to lay on the other eggs but doesn’t do it all day. Maybe a few hours and is easily distracted (I have 3 others)
SO FAR
· I gave her a bath. She had a poopie butt. Her vent was not clogged, seemed to be the right first steep.
o Warm water, vinegar, baby shampoo. Rinse. Dry. Inside for the night

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi there,
So, at 4 years old she may be done laying, but if you suspect she is eggbound, here's how to check. Get a latex glove, lubricate one finger, gently inset into the hens' vent - go straight back for about an inch or so, if you cannot feel/touch an egg she is not eggbound.
If she has a distended belly she may have some other egg laying problem - such as internal laying. There really isn't much you can do about that except keep her comfortable. If you have the funds, an avian vet might help.
As she is having a hard time with her perch, perhaps you could provide her with a lower one just a few inches off the ground? Chickens can and do get arthritis, so she may be stiff in the legs first thing.
You say she is eating/drinking etc. ok so keep a close eye on her - it may just be 'old age' and hopefully not an internal problem. Please keep us posted,

 

[Cara chicks mom]

Thank you so much for responding to my post!!!!! I had a chance to grab her and a few of the others today and she differently has fluid in her abdomen. The vet I found that can help her so far wants $66 to see her and then will charge more to drain her. I don't have that kind of money so am researching how to do it myself. I'M FREAKING OUT!!!! I think I can do it with my brothers help but am concerned about everything that can happen for this. I handle thing like this pretty well but it is still scary. Plus I have been told the feed stores are no long about to sell antibiotics.

As for the roosting bar I am going to make a ladder for them.

 

[boskelli1571]

Yes - the Gov.t has stopped the sale of antibiotics to animals b/c of the rise in resistant bugs. People were not using the right antibiotic for the right thing. Anyway, can't help you with draining the belly, but if you write something like 'draining fluid' in the Search box I'm positive something helpful will pop up. I guess the main thing is not to puncture anything vital....

When some of my hens got elderly, I made a 2x4 perch for them about 6 inches off the ground - they loved it! Good luck with draining your hen, keep me posted!

 

[Cara chicks mom]

OMG!!! I got 2.5 cups out of her!!! I'm going to start a new tread and ask for help there. thank you again

 

[rebrascora]

Well done for draining her. I know how much courage it takes to do that. You should be really proud of yourself! Did you draw the fluid out with a syringe or just let it drain from it's own pressure? She will feel a huge relief from having that removed as it will have been putting pressure on her heart and lungs and intestines and legs and hips too of course. The important thing now is to keep the drainage site clean every day to prevent infection. Hopefully you scrubbed the area up first with an anti bacterial wash like chlorohexidine before inserting the needle.

Unfortunately it is very likely that she is laying internally which is very different from being egg bound. When an egg is released from the ovary it is just a yolk and it makes it's way into the oviduct where it goes through the process of becoming an egg as we know it with an egg white and shell around it. Unfortunately as hens get older they sometimes develop a problem where the yolks that are released almost daily, fail to travel into the oviduct to form eggs and instead they drop into the abdominal cavity. Over time this mass of egg yolks builds up and sometimes an infection sets in, which is called Egg Yolk Peritonitis. It also sometimes causes fluid to build up too and because the fluid is heaviest, it settles in the bottom of the abdomen between the legs causing a swelling like you have seen with your hen. Unfortunately the egg yolks "cook" with the prolonged exposure to heat from the hen's body and so there is no safe or easy way to remove them and I would be surprised if even a vet would attempt it. That said, your hen may have several months more of good quality life before things build up again and you need to decide whether to try to drain off more fluid or let her go. The chances are that she is ultimately not going to recover from this though.

For your information, egg binding is where a fully formed egg with yolk, white and usually shell, gets stuck at the bottom end of the oviduct when the hen is trying to lay it. The egg usually blocks the passage of faeces in that position and the hen's digestive system backs up very quickly causing her to get sick and die within a few days, if the blockage is not removed. It doesn't usually cause any noticeable abdominal swelling but the hen will be distressed and her vent may appear to rhythmically pulse and contract whilst trying to expel the egg.

I wish you luck with your hen and hope that she is able to enjoy a reasonable spell of life before things build up again.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[Cara chicks mom]

I had an 18g syringe and my brother happened to have a huge needle with a plastic sheathing used to re inflate human lungs when they collapse. It worked really well,I need more of the lung inflaters. All of the videos I watched cleaned the area with alcohol. I washed her down with saline too. Tomorrow I will see if I can for that wash, I don't see alcohol being to good for long term. I am going to keep it as clean as possible but do realize she me have to be taking out of her misery if it comes to it. I've had to do it once already and will again if it is needed

I am proud of myself but that was gross Thank you for all of the information and support you have given me