Scambled egg poo, swollen abdomen, diarrhoea, otherwise peachy

[Ladies in Red]

Hello
I've got 3 ex-batteries that I've had for a couple of years. One (Pink) is laying the occasional lash eggs, and I'm seeing odd poos, some similar to some pictures I've seen here but also literally like scrambled eggs, spongy, and just like a tablespoon of (overcooked) scrambled eggs. I'm not even entirely sure it's chicken poo, but I've seen it a few times. I have seen some more yellow stringy, watery scrambled egg with some greenish droppings and two of them have diarrhoea for a couple of months now - but it's not every poo, there are more than enough normal poos in the garden and coop. I've reduced their protein (they used to get mealworms now they just get a handful of mixed seed between them and layer pellets), and I've just wormed them. I'm not prepared for Pink to have any more invasive veterinary treatment, I've lost two girls since I got them and felt I did far too much to them (antibiotics, long trips to avian vet - it's an hour away, flushing crop etc) and it didn't help in the slightest so I don't want to put her through another trip until it's time to go. She's had antibiotics before and rallied, but it was such a painful experience I don't want to do it again. One other (Ella) is on hormones to stop her laying because the anti-biotic treatment was just so stressful for her after laying soft eggs (ironically she doesn't have diarrhoea at all). I do energy healing and Pink has rallied a couple of times in the past when I thought she was a gonner so I'm not giving up - the odd thing is she's perfectly happy, eating well, doing all the normal happy stuff. She is definitely swollen (she HATES being handled) so I'm not getting too obsessed since the decision to let her be until she's uncomfortable, but I'm wondering if anyone has any advice of the chronic (but not consistent) diarrhoea or anything non-invasive I can do to help them if it's an infection? I think she's still laying occasionally I can't be sure (ok - I know this is weird but please just overlook if you think I'm a loon, but just to explain that I'm reasonable confident she's happy - I do muscle testing to get yes/no answers from them, it's not 100%, but she says she's laying and she says she's happy and she wants to live and she doesn't need a vet - I'm confident enough in this communication that she'll tell me when it's time to go, the last one did quite emphatically), but really apart from being obviously a bit squashy in the abdomen, odd poo, lash eggs (I've had about 3 in the last month) she seems absolutely fine. After obsessive googling I thought it was salpingitis, and more latterly water-belly from which I don't believe there is a cure anyway. Any advice? Thanks in advance x

 

[Wyorp Rock]

3 ex-batteries that I've had for a couple of years. One (Pink) is laying the occasional lash eggs, and I'm seeing odd poos, some similar to some pictures I've seen here but also literally like scrambled eggs, spongy, and just like a tablespoon of (overcooked) scrambled eggs.

I have seen some more yellow stringy, watery scrambled egg with some greenish droppings and two of them have diarrhoea for a couple of months now

I'm not prepared for Pink to have any more invasive veterinary treatment, I've lost two girls since I got them and felt I did far too much to them (antibiotics, long trips to avian vet - it's an hour away, flushing crop etc) and it didn't help in the slightest so I don't want to put her through another trip until it's time to go.

the odd thing is she's perfectly happy, eating well, doing all the normal happy stuff. She is definitely swollen (she HATES being handled) so I'm not getting too obsessed since the decision to let her be until she's uncomfortable, but I'm wondering if anyone has any advice of the chronic (but not consistent) diarrhoea or anything non-invasive I can do to help them if it's an infection?

After obsessive googling I thought it was salpingitis, and more latterly water-belly from which I don't believe there is a cure anyway. Any advice?

It sounds like you are doing what you can for her.
If you have photos of what you are seeing that may be helpful to others that search for similar things.

With Salpingitis, they can live for a good while, it just depends on how advanced, if the lash material is clogging up the oviducts and/or is in the abdomen. An oral antibiotic like Baytril might help with infection, but as you have likely found in your research, this is mainly for supportive care/comfort since there is no cure.

For water belly (Ascites) which does often accompany reproductive problems or is the result of organs starting to fail - some people drain the hen themselves or have their vet do it. This is not a cure either and usually only done to make the hen more comfortable when they are having difficulty breathing, struggling to walk, etc. There is risk in draining since you can introduce bacteria with a needle stick, some do give antibiotics when they drain.
Another alternative would be to see if a detox is helpful @coach723 wrote about it in this post. Something to look into for sure.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...breath-if-you-hold-her.1284253/#post-20750855

I'm sorry you are dealing with this, sadly it seems all too common with laying hens whether they are ex-batts or not. Frustrating and heartbreaking too.

 

[Ladies in Red]

Thank you Wyorp Rock. I actually have aloe juice, and hadn't thought of that, I'm just loath to try and give them anything orally - it's fine if I knew it would help but it's so stressful. They're really chummy and friendly but they do not like to be handled. I've been wondering if I should try her on the other implant I have (Ella is on implants and she's doing really well on them) and I'm about to phone the vet - if it's a matter of a single visit to implant I'm OK with that, it's the twice daily anti-biotics - I got quite good at it, but it's so stressful I just don't want to be chasing them around twice a day, terrifying them and then have them die anyway. I'd rather they popped off having had a peaceful time. I just need to be clear that it will help given that there is obviously something else going on... I'll see what the vet says, and yes tonight I will wear glasses and take photos when I clean them out. Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you Wyorp Rock. I actually have aloe juice, and hadn't thought of that, I'm just loath to try and give them anything orally - it's fine if I knew it would help but it's so stressful. They're really chummy and friendly but they do not like to be handled. I've been wondering if I should try her on the other implant I have (Ella is on implants and she's doing really well on them) and I'm about to phone the vet - if it's a matter of a single visit to implant I'm OK with that, it's the twice daily anti-biotics - I got quite good at it, but it's so stressful I just don't want to be chasing them around twice a day, terrifying them and then have them die anyway. I'd rather they popped off having had a peaceful time. I just need to be clear that it will help given that there is obviously something else going on... I'll see what the vet says, and yes tonight I will wear glasses and take photos when I clean them out. Thank you.

Let us know how the vet consult goes.

As for the antibiotics you give - you mention giving 2X a day. Can you time that where you wait until roosting at night to give one dose, then grab them first thing in the morning off the roost to give the other? Roosting chickens are always easiest to catch and it's less stress for everyone - just a thought.

 

[CCUK]

If she has acsites or waterbelly it is most commonly caused from peritonitis. This is a reproductive problem and also be a reason for the eggy type poos she has been doing. Get the vet to do a thorough exam. I don't think that giving them an implant will help much. If it is EYP they will get sick from infection. I have ex battery hens and it is so sad to see that they have these problems. Some luck out and live for a good few years but unfortunately I'll health has been bred into them in favour of high egg production.

 

[Ladies in Red]

Let us know how the vet consult goes.

As for the antibiotics you give - you mention giving 2X a day. Can you time that where you wait until roosting at night to give one dose, then grab them first thing in the morning off the roost to give the other? Roosting chickens are always easiest to catch and it's less stress for everyone - just a thought.

Thank you yes - and the timing is right now the days are shorter! Thank you. I have resigned myself to the fact a visit to the vet will result in (at the very least) antibiotics... but I'll see what he says when he calls back. Thanks again, actually that does help a lot. Pink is always last in at night...

 

[Ladies in Red]

If she has acsites or waterbelly it is most commonly caused from peritonitis. This is a reproductive problem and also be a reason for the eggy type poos she has been doing. Get the vet to do a thorough exam. I don't think that giving them an implant will help much. If it is EYP they will get sick from infection. I have ex battery hens and it is so sad to see that they have these problems. Some luck out and live for a good few years but unfortunately I'll health has been bred into them in favour of high egg production.

My vet says 90% (or something massive) of ex-bats die from reproductive issues so I know it's par for the course, but she's so happy and well otherwise - I've seen her sick and I just don't think she is unhappy or feeling unwell at the moment. I was hoping the implant would help as it would stop the reproductive system creating more eggs (assuming we get the infection under control?)

 

[CCUK]

My vet says 90% (or something massive) of ex-bats die from reproductive issues so I know it's par for the course, but she's so happy and well otherwise - I've seen her sick and I just don't think she is unhappy or feeling unwell at the moment. I was hoping the implant would help as it would stop the reproductive system creating more eggs (assuming we get the infection under control?)

The implants will stop any further laying. But they won't be effective for anything already there, that's what the antibiotics are for. But if it is EYP without surgical intervention it will only prolong the inevitable. Hopefully there will be some good news from the vet and so long as she is happy and eating and drinking well I would also do all I could to try to make her better.

 

[Ladies in Red]

She's got an appointment tomorrow so I will see what he says - he is avian so he's really good, I just don't like the trauma of taking them and medicating them, but I guess I have to man up and do what's right, cos she has plenty of life in her yet! Would not consider surgery but I won't preempt the diagnosis. Thank you for your advice.

 

[Ladies in Red]

Hello, just a happy update. The green poo (looked like spirulina colour) was because she's not eating much. He found a swelling but he doesn't think it's waterbelly or that it's "loose" in her abdomen (more likely a growth or an organ). He didn't think it was bad enough to make her uncomfortable or warrant anything further - nothing much to do without invasive stuff, which I'm not prepared to do, so as long as she's comfortable I'll leave her alone. They are in a worming cycle and antibiotics not required at this stage. Otherwise she's in pretty good health (and FIESTY!), so he's happy for me to leave her alone until it gets worse. We have implanted her in the hope that taking the pressure of her reproductive system will help whatever else is going on. Niala (the other one with diarrhoea) seems to have cleaned up a bit so maybe it was worms, so I'll worm them next time at the first sign of problems - I tend to hold off as I hate all these chemicals and finding a balance is hard. She seems completely unphased by the ordeal and I hope we'll get a few more months, even years, for her. I feel so much better having battled about will I/won't I, and the extortionate cost of implants is worth it when I think of how much joy they bring me. Thank you for your replies. I'll try to post the green poo as it was quite startling but vet wasn't concerned, just said it happens when they eat less.
Thank you all.