Rhode Island red...weird behavior

[billyboy1111]

View attachment 1257211 Rhode island red, about a year and three months old, on and off energy, stopped laying regularly about 2 weeks ago and laid her last egg about three days ago. The tail feathers will sometimes contract a little as if she were going to poop but nothing. In the initial stages she would drink tons of water and throw up a lot, but that stopped yesterday when she ate quite a bit but I notice she eats very little and only very tiny pieces of food. Because I saw a video on youtube about egg bound chickens and because I can't feel anything near her anus, I dipped her in an epsom salt bath for about 20 minutes. I saw that she has a toothpick size green little thread coming out of her anus but dared not pull, thinking it may have come out with the bath and might try to insert it in as if it were a prolapse tomorrow. About four months ago when I visited my chickens in the coop I noticed she had her tail down and was on the floor so I got in, took her out and as soon as I did she returned to normal. Then she was completely normal until about 4 days back, but like I said she goes though periods where she looks really sad and will barely move, to moving again.
Don't know what else to say.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

oh dear!!!

 

[billyboy1111]

Oh dear indeed...and too scared to check if there's an egg inside or not...fear of breaking the egg inside her.

 

[camochick96]

I hope someone can give you helpful advice!

 

[billyboy1111]

What I built up the nerve to do about an hour ago was lube her up real good with coconut oil and insert my finger nail length deep straight in to check if I felt any egg shell...no...a lil more and still no...I also slowly put in the protruding green skinny wire thing and it stayed in. Then I put her outside the cage for about 15 minutes, she walked fine, tail up, very alert.
Have no idea what's up with her.....

 

[Lazy Farmer]

What I built up the nerve to do about an hour ago was lube her up real good with coconut oil and insert my finger nail length deep straight in to check if I felt any egg shell...no...a lil more and still no...I also slowly put in the protruding green skinny wire thing and it stayed in. Then I put her outside the cage for about 15 minutes, she walked fine, tail up, very alert.
Have no idea what's up with her.....

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Has she eaten anything that could have gotten stuck and isn't passing? What do you mean by "green skinny wire?" Photos would help greatly in this situation if you can get them.

 

[billyboy1111]

Can't take any photos now that the green lil skinny cable thingy has been shoved back inside. It was just skinnier and more flexible than the green electrical wiring one would find in old transistor radios, stretchable and rubbery. Yes I'm guessing it was something she ate as well, her poop is whitish and yellowish. She's been like this for about a week and lay her last egg four days ago.

 

[billyboy1111]

Has she eaten anything that could have gotten stuck and isn't passing? What do you mean by "green skinny wire?"

Thanks to everyone but especially to Silkies who wrote the line above and put me on the road to giving her an epsom salt 20 minute soak, in case she was egg bound or something else was stuck. This gave her diarrhea from the magnesium and it turns out that the green lil string as I called it was obstucting her intestines. Overnight she pooped it with so much poop it looked like a baby carrot. Have no idea who that was in her intestines but it came out and this morning the chicken was again up to her silly antics and looked brand new. Thanks Silkie4Ever!

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Has she eaten anything that could have gotten stuck and isn't passing? What do you mean by "green skinny wire?"

Thanks to everyone but especially to Silkies who wrote the line above and put me on the road to giving her an epsom salt 20 minute soak, in case she was egg bound or something else was stuck. This gave her diarrhea from the magnesium and it turns out that the green lil string as I called it was obstucting her intestines. Overnight she pooped it with so much poop it looked like a baby carrot. Have no idea who that was in her intestines but it came out and this morning the chicken was again up to her silly antics and looked brand new. Thanks Silkie4Ever!

So great to hear! I'm glad she's back to normal.