black5wann
In the Brooder
1) Bird was adopted from a neighbor so not sure of specifics, possibly Rhode island white, about 4 years old, potentially lighter than other chickens we have, but she is top of the pecking order and always eats a lot
2) The past couple of months she’s had issues with soft eggs. We chalked it up to her getting older and slowing down her laying? This is the first time we’ve kept chickens and we’ve had them for about 2 years (we got them from our neighbor when they moved away). Yesterday afternoon we noticed she was away from the flock and seemed like she was trying to pass a soft egg. Her vent area looked swollen. We gave her a few Epsom baths and separated her in our bathroom overnight. In the morning to our surprise we see she laid a beautiful egg, along with some egg white goo. She had soft poops in the morning. She ate a bit of scrambled eggs and mushy watered feed, but she hasn’t been drinking a whole lot. She is still swollen and seems like she is still trying to pass something. Haven't seen poop since initial egg / excrement this morning. She has eaten since then. She keeps going into a corner and seems like she's straining, neck withdrawn, eyes sometimes closed, vent pulsing.
3) Little less than 48 hours.
4) No - no other birds are exhibiting these symptoms.
5) Signs of other trauma - Not that I am aware of. I was feeling her keel during the bath and it felt quite a bit more prominent than I remember, but she always had a bit of a bony keel. I also noticed it almost felt crooked, not sure if this has always been this way - but I would assume so.
6) Cause - Not sure - I don't think there was anything specific externally that caused it. As I alluded too she has had some trouble passing soft eggs over the past few months, but usually she gets them out after some time. Sometimes we've done epsom baths before and then she was able to pass it. This time it is lasting longer than usual and is odd because it was a regular hard egg in the morning, and yet she still seems to be trying to pass something else.
7) I have been providing layer feed with added calcium supplement mixed with water. She is still eating with some gusto, but not quite as much as usual. She isn't drinking much, but there was water mixed in with the feed.
8) The poop before and after the egg was passed was quite runny and looked like it could have been mixed with a shell-less egg. The next poop was still liquidy, but much more solid and normal looking.
9) Treatments I have done: Epsom salt baths, Vaseline rubbed around vent. I also inserted gloved finger with Vaseline into vent up to first knuckle. I thought everything was fine after she laid that egg this morning, but she still is crouched and looks like she's trying to pass something. She is now quite sensitive about touching the vent area and slightly swollen area beneath the vent.
10 ) I would like to try and treat myself. I am afraid it could be a fatal condition such as salpingitis from my research. Would like guidance if there is some alternative diagnosis or treatment.
11) I will post picture of vent area tomorrow morning.
12) Usually pine shavings in the coop outside, but we now have her isolated inside in the bathroom, with a little nesting box with towels.
2) The past couple of months she’s had issues with soft eggs. We chalked it up to her getting older and slowing down her laying? This is the first time we’ve kept chickens and we’ve had them for about 2 years (we got them from our neighbor when they moved away). Yesterday afternoon we noticed she was away from the flock and seemed like she was trying to pass a soft egg. Her vent area looked swollen. We gave her a few Epsom baths and separated her in our bathroom overnight. In the morning to our surprise we see she laid a beautiful egg, along with some egg white goo. She had soft poops in the morning. She ate a bit of scrambled eggs and mushy watered feed, but she hasn’t been drinking a whole lot. She is still swollen and seems like she is still trying to pass something. Haven't seen poop since initial egg / excrement this morning. She has eaten since then. She keeps going into a corner and seems like she's straining, neck withdrawn, eyes sometimes closed, vent pulsing.
3) Little less than 48 hours.
4) No - no other birds are exhibiting these symptoms.
5) Signs of other trauma - Not that I am aware of. I was feeling her keel during the bath and it felt quite a bit more prominent than I remember, but she always had a bit of a bony keel. I also noticed it almost felt crooked, not sure if this has always been this way - but I would assume so.
6) Cause - Not sure - I don't think there was anything specific externally that caused it. As I alluded too she has had some trouble passing soft eggs over the past few months, but usually she gets them out after some time. Sometimes we've done epsom baths before and then she was able to pass it. This time it is lasting longer than usual and is odd because it was a regular hard egg in the morning, and yet she still seems to be trying to pass something else.
7) I have been providing layer feed with added calcium supplement mixed with water. She is still eating with some gusto, but not quite as much as usual. She isn't drinking much, but there was water mixed in with the feed.
8) The poop before and after the egg was passed was quite runny and looked like it could have been mixed with a shell-less egg. The next poop was still liquidy, but much more solid and normal looking.
9) Treatments I have done: Epsom salt baths, Vaseline rubbed around vent. I also inserted gloved finger with Vaseline into vent up to first knuckle. I thought everything was fine after she laid that egg this morning, but she still is crouched and looks like she's trying to pass something. She is now quite sensitive about touching the vent area and slightly swollen area beneath the vent.
10 ) I would like to try and treat myself. I am afraid it could be a fatal condition such as salpingitis from my research. Would like guidance if there is some alternative diagnosis or treatment.
11) I will post picture of vent area tomorrow morning.
12) Usually pine shavings in the coop outside, but we now have her isolated inside in the bathroom, with a little nesting box with towels.
