Pullet with poopy butt and....

[MarkJr]

Her fluffy butt feathers are a mess. Abdomen is slightly squishy (fluid build up maybe?) Sets off to the side and doesn’t get up even for treats.

No lice/mites
Crop is empty in the morning
No unusual poops under roost, but two soft eggs from roost last few days from under her.

Where do I start looking now?

 

[MarkJr]

I think ‘Give me the pill fumble fingers’ is how she put it tonight.

She’s typically at my side for all shenanigans.

 

[azygous]

Easier for you or for the chicken? Chickens have no problem swallowing large pills. It really is the easiest way to dose a chicken and get the precise dose into them.

Here's my tutorial on chickens and large pills:

We think chickens must have a problem swallowing a large pill just because we do. But their digestive process is different from ours. We begin the digestive process by chewing first, then swallowing. We aren't meant to swallow large chunks. We naturally choke.

Chickens don't have teeth for a good reason. They don't need them. Their digestive process begins after they swallow. The food goes directly into their crop without passing "Go", and then it trickles down into their gizzard where the "chewing" action goes into full swing.

Therefore, chickens can amaze us by swallowing things that we think would choke them, large pills included. But they actually have no problem. Slip the pill into the beak and you'll see it disappear like magic. Unless you don't get it far enough back on the tongue. Chickens can rival dogs and cats at firing a pill across the room like a guided missile, but it's not because they aren't able to swallow it easily.

 

[MarkJr]

@MarkJr what do you mean by counter peristalsis evidence, please? This is a new term to me, thanks.

I had a fully shelled egg that had an additional membrane around the egg. Happened several times over a few weeks.

 

[MarkJr]

And yes, without lips, chickens can spit far!

 

[MarkJr]

I guess the ‘Pry and Pray’ method is the normal. Thanks everyone. Plan is to leave them locked in their coop and run. No extras, just poke a calcium pill down her throat once a day and wait to see what develops.

 

[houseofchicks2020]

Clean it now and then research her symptoms.

 

[MarkJr]

I will clarify. Vent is clear. Whitish poop down feathers under vent. Age approx 30 weeks. Feb 28 chicks.

 

[MarkJr]

@EggCentric
@aart
@azygous

@MarkJr, is she a Black Australorp? She's very pretty and, other than the diarrhea looks to be in good health. Her comb color looks good to me and her feathers look thrifty. Let's see what our experts think.

She is a dominant copper. Hybrid of maran and barred rock I believe. Just lethargic. My gut is telling me something is wrong. Just don’t have a clue what it is.

 

[azygous]

Since she laid those two shell-less eggs, she may have one stuck inside her. This could be the reason for the vent discharge and her lethagic behavior. Your instincts are good. Something is definitely wrong.

It can't hurt to go ahead and treat her for a stuck egg to be safe. Give her one calcium tablet, at least 500mg with vitamin D3. Give one each day for the next few days and let's see what happens.