Round hind end????

[Merrymouse]

Oh and thank you all for your help. I’d really hate to lose this girl but nature may have other plans.

 

[Merrymouse]

She is acting a bit better now. She looks pretty bright and moving with the flock and preening, head up, tail up and perky. I’m going to sit with her for a bit and see if I can check her droppings. She’s pecking at my clothes and acting normal now but we’ll see. n Thanks all.

 

[Merrymouse]

Actively eating and scratching and bossing the other girls around like normal. Good signs. I’ll keep you all posted and see how she is in the morning. Is it possible that is just her anatomy? She’s a big girl.

 

[Kiki]

Anything is possible but with you saying that she isn't laying and her belly feels full...that doesn't sound so good.
She could live a long time...even with laying internally or something else similar....or she could take a turn for the worse quickly.

 

[bobbi-j]

Actively eating and scratching and bossing the other girls around like normal. Good signs. I’ll keep you all posted and see how she is in the morning. Is it possible that is just her anatomy? She’s a big girl.

I suppose it's possible. They're all built differently, just like us people. Do they free range? Could she be hiding her eggs and that's why your chicken sitter didn't see any from her?

 

[Merrymouse]

@KikisGirls @bobbi-j
She has not been free ranging as I was away. But when I questioned my son about whether or not he collected any dark brown eggs over the past two weeks he couldn’t remember. Than my other neighbor who was feeding my cats came into my house and noticed all the eggs on the counter, thought my son forgot to refrigerate and threw them all away thinking they would be spoiled! So I don’t even know for sure that she hasn’t been laying. She only lays 2 to 4 days out of the week and she didn’t lay today or yesterday so I’m not even sure she is not laying. Hopefully tomorrow she will still look good and lay a nice brown egg for me.
And yes @KikisGirls I think for now it’s a wait and watch game and if she starts failing I will euthanize and if I can stomach it I’ll see what was going on inside her. Fingers crossed I won’t have to do this though.

 

[Eggcessive]

She appears to be a black copper marans. I have raised 7-8 of those hens, and they almost all have those large lower bellies. I have lost a couple of them, but as I said, they lived for several years with them. One I did not necropsy almost certainly had egg yolk peritonitis, but she looked the same for 3 years. Another had a lot of fat on her, possible fatty liver disease, but her liver looked normal. So, I would just observe her and see if she is really that sick. She will let you know if she is suffering.

 

[Merrymouse]

She appears to be a black copper marans. I have raised 7-8 of those hens, and they almost all have those large lower bellies. I have lost a couple of them, but as I said, they lived for several years with them. One I did not necropsy almost certainly had egg yolk peritonitis, but she looked the same for 3 years. Another had a lot of fat on her, possible fatty liver disease, but her liver looked normal. So, I would just observe her and see if she is really that sick. She will let you know if she is suffering.

Yes she is a French black copper Maran I purchased as a chick. Not that is matters much at this point but I paid a lot of money for her. I got her from a breeder but she is a pet and I love her. ost expensive chick p

 

[EggSighted4Life]

black copper marans. I have raised 7-8 of those hens, and they almost all have those large lower bellies.

Yes, I raise Marans and would agree with this. I have not seen internal laying or binding be an issue with these ladies so far. Though I did have one gal over 4 years old that laid a couple lash eggs... who was sent for processing before issues progressed.

But poo gathering in the abdomen region is a reason I have culled... and literally considering ditching Marans all together (and don't keep Orpington). I feel like when it gathers into a large clump it gets heavy and pulls at the skin causing irritation and swelling. Double check the feather bases for any parasitic egg clumps, as very often there is a reason the feces started gathering in the first place.

I'm glad she is doing better! It's so frustrating that things happen when we are away and then we have no real GOOD clues.

I would feed out the nutrina along with the purina. That should not heavily impact your issue.

Hope she live a long, happy, and comfortable life!

 

[Merrymouse]

UPDATE:

She seems to be doing well. And she has laid three nice big eggs but not quite as dark as before. Hers is the one on the end obviously. I took this picture to show the tiny egg on the end to my family...our chicks from the spring laid their first egg so things are looking up.

Weirdlymy broody mama who was raising chicks laid 14 eggs in 14 days while I was away then when I came she stopped completely for almost two weeks and now she’s back to laying. Could they have been stressed and gone off their normal laying becuae I was away? I do spend a lot of time with them.