Hello! I got these chickens in December and I’m new to the chicken world. Can someone tell me what this might be and how I can treat it? Thanks in advance!!
Yes I would definitely say egg bound. Here's some links to good reading: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/07/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms/ https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention.66978/ Unfortunately, I have never had an egg bound chicken so I cannot offer any personal experience advice but I would rely on these resources quite heavily as the chicken chick website has helped me tremendously in the past as had wonderful articles here on BYC. Best of luck to you and your birds! I hope she gets well soon!
Thank you for the articles! I gave her an epsom salt bath have been giving her calcium. Hoping for the best!
Hi @Cglauzun Welcome To BYC The swelling that you post a photo of (red circle) is in the abdomen. Does it feel hard, soft, squishy, fluid filled? Does she still lay eggs? What other, if any, symptoms is she having - lethargy, trouble walking, not eating/drinking, etc.? I see poop on the feathers - I am going to guess her vent is somewhere close to the red arrow. Swelling like that is usually from a reproductive disorder like Salpingitis, cancer, tumor, Egg Yolk Peritonitis or Ascites. The epsom salts soak won't hurt her, it may soothe her a bit, but unfortunately, if won't cure any of these conditions.
Thank you for your reply! It’s squishy and soft on the outside. When I checked her internally, I thought I felt something hard. The hard object wasn’t directly in, it was below my finger. If it matters, her poop is normal. She seems to be eating and drinking normally. Her energy level is normal. She does waddle a bit when she walks.
I would just keep watch on her. If she stops eating/drinking or she becomes lethargic, then it's time to consider putting her out of her misery. Some hens can go for a very long time with swelling or masses like that. I usually just keep an eye on them since there is nothing you can really do except keep them comfortable. I'm sorry, I wish I had better answers for you. You may find the video in this thread helpful. If you would like other links to photos of the condition I suspect she may have, I can provide those for you too. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ions-my-youtube-video-graphic-photos.1201052/