sad duck - ""Silver Appleyard

[clucken mad]

Hi I've just become a member, though I have been checking in and out of this sight over the past year, and getting lots of useful information for my 24 chickens and 7 ducks
I live in Wellington NZ and have been free ranging my chickens and ducks for 18months now, and still learning.

I have 2 Silver Appleyard females and 1 male, 2 Pekin females, 1 Orpington pair (brother and sister)
Sadly one of my Appleyard girls, Claudia, has virtually stopped eating her mixed grain and pellets, and only pecks at her "greens" and tomatoes (which they all love).
She is still drinking but has stopped getting into her bath, and doesn't follow the others, like usual. Her back end is almost touching the ground and looks a bit swollen.
When I picked her up today to check her, she had lost a lot of weight.
I usually mix Diatomaceous Earth and shell grit into their food, but I ran out about a week ago, and since then Claudia has gone down hill.
I'm at a lost as to what could be the problem and hubby wont let me take her to a Vet.
I have isolated her into a warm dry box with food and water.
She might be egg bound, but I don't know what to do about it. One of the Pekins was egg bound not long after I got her, and I took her to a Vet, but it was very expensive.
They put her on Antibiotics and muscle relaxant. But Claudia isn't showing the same distress.
So any help or info would be greatly appreciate

 

[Jessica89]

Has she laid any eggs at all?
It sounds as if she is egg bound if she is swollen,

It is really important you help her or she could die.

I would firstly run a warm bath and let her soak in it for ten minutes,

If that doesn't work.. try following this advice:

http://www.metzerfarms.com/EggBound.cfm

Good Luck x

 

[clucken mad]

Hi Jessica89
Thank you for the link, I will certainly follow that up>
Yes, she had been laying but they all stopped for a couple of months, but are the 2 Pekins and other Appleyard have started again in the last few weeks.
I don't think Claudia has laid any yet, though she was going into the nesting area and sitting for hours.
I will bring her in tomorrow and put her in a warm bath. Lucky I have a baby bath handy
Thanks for your advice and I'll let you know what happens

 

[Jessica89]

Awww bless her. It sound sound like she is egg bound.

Start with the warm bath and hopefully it might get things moving.

Let me know. Good luck!