Possible lash/salpingitis infection?

[TheBantamRoo]

So hey y’all. I’ve had a White leghorn hen that has been out of laying commission for a while and now I think something is actually wrong. I’m gonna try and elaborate..

Mrs Prissy quit laying about 3 months ago (late May, early June). She was in a normal healthy condition and then one day it appeared she had sour crop. I picked her up, fiddled with her crop, and the next day she was fine. Fast forward about two months (July timeframe) and she acted like she was having trouble pooping. She would often squat like she needed to go but nothing would happen. A couple days later she would go, but it was extremely runny and nothing solid came out. I thought she had an egg stuck, but upon further investigation there was nothing there. Since these last couple of weeks she’s had a lot of poop build up on her vent feathers but I’ve been at college and haven’t been able to come home (and my parents don’t really know much about chickens except to feed, water, collect eggs, and apply Vet Rx whenever someone sounds a little nasally.) I got home today and decided me and my brother were gonna try and help her out and see what was going on.

Her symptoms now are:

- Super shrunken comb and wattles
- Yellow beak/feet (from lack of egg laying)
- swollen abdomen near vent area
- she doesn’t poop anything solid. It’s all soft and it constantly leaks out of her.
- I think she might be having some trouble breathing too. She seemed to be breathing a lot harder than the normal chicken but that might have been because we were stressing her out.
- My brother pulled something off her rear end area that I really thought looked like lash
- she doesn’t walk normal. She kinda waddles everywhere

I originally thought maybe she had some sort of ovarian/reproductive cancer because she’s at least 4 years old if not older (that’s how long I’ve had her). I don’t know her exact age because she’s a 4H chicken that came from a chicken house amongst thousands of other chickens that of various ages. Now after looking at her today I’m not so sure…

Anyone else have any thoughts? I can’t figure out what’s wrong with her.

 

[TheBantamRoo]

She also smells awful.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

She would often squat like she needed to go but nothing would happen.

Possible internal parasites. Only large round worm species and tape worms may ever be seen by the naked eye.. all others will stay in the intestinal track and only their microscopic oocysts (eggs) will pass (often intermittently) in droppings.

Is getting a fecal float at the vet or doing one yourself an option? I believe there are some affordable mail in options available also. Some folks worm without confirmation. Not all meds treat all parasites.

Lash egg.. usually looks like cooked egg whites when it's cut open. Did you take pictures?

- Yellow beak/feet (from lack of egg laying)
- swollen abdomen near vent area

Yellow beak and feet should be a positive thing.. meaning more carotenoids in the feed. Yes, it will also translate to brighter/darker yolks when laying is active. UNLESS we are talking about liver failure jaundice type yellowing. How are the whites of the eyes?

Swollen abdomen causes.. ascites (water belly), EYP (egg yolk peritonitis/internal laying), mites/lice (if skin is also angry red). maybe even a fat layer (all birds I've processed have a fat plug of varying degree around that space).. not caused by Salpingitis/lash egg in my understanding.. which should be more internal.

Shrunken comb/wattles can be (is) an indicator of laying/reproductive hormones presence or lack there of.

Is she molting? What is her feed routine including treats and supplements? Is she still active with the rest of the flock?

Hope she's just enjoying her golden age!

 

[TheBantamRoo]

She actually did just go through a molt. We feed them Tucker Milling layer feed and they get the occasional bread treats. She’s active and responsive just she doesn’t act like everyone else.

The abdominal swelling is very squishy. It’s doesn’t feel like a fat layer, more abnormal. Even though I have noticed mites I don’t think this is the cause.

I might be able to get a fecal done for free at my 4H office (they have a microscope), I just don’t know if they have the suspension solution or where to get it from. I also might be able to get in touch with the parasitology professor at my college and we can do it there.

Her eye whites look normal I guess. I don’t see them very much but they look like normal eyes.

We have some Safeguard wormer here, I just don’t know if that’s the right course of action considering it might not be a worm.

About the lash thing, I did not take a picture and I don’t remember where it is in the grass. And that was 4 hours ago so it might not look the same…

 

[TheBantamRoo]

The swelling feels a lot like a balloon to me. It’s squishy but firm at the same time