Shell less eggs and now this…Please help.

[Chickeeaholic]

My hen is 2 1/2 years old. She’s a midnight majestic maran so a hybrid high production hen. I didn’t understand all that meant when I got her. Knowing now I wouldn’t do it again though she’s a sweet girl.

I have had ongoing crop problems with her which we have always worked through.

I switched to Kalmbach henhouse reserve about three weeks ago. Only my three MMM hens started laying shell less eggs. They always have access to oyster shell.

This hen became impacted three days ago. I have put her in a dog crate. Fed coconut oil and water with apple cider vinegar in her water. Today she passed a mass that looks like a thin crumpled shell with tissue? I am posting pictures.

I don’t have an avian vet to go to. No vets here will see chickens. We are on our own.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

I wanted to add:
Three days ago I separated her. I gave her coconut oil, live apple cider vinegar, cooked egg, some live crickets, yogurt, soft foods which she is still wanting to eat, and water. I have been doing gentle crop massages.

She is still walking around and wanting to eat a little. Her crop feels like it has a lot of oyster shells or grit in it. It’s on the firm side, not water filled.

She poops but is dark brown bits with a lot of runny white. All of my midnight majestic marans have watery stools right now as well as laying soft eggs. They were wormed in June. I keep them checked and treated for mites and lice.

I know it’s probably a reproductive problem made worse by diet change? I’m just wondering if she can survive this round? She still seems so active. Thanks for any help or advice.

 

[Kiki]

Sorry your bird is sick.

A recent diet change is not the cause of this.
What she's been eating for the last 2 years is much more likely the cause.

Have you always feed daily treats?

 

[Chickeeaholic]

Sorry your bird is sick.

A recent diet change is not the cause of this.
What she's been eating for the last 2 years is much more likely the cause.

Have you always feed daily treats?

Yes.

 

[Kiki]

Yes.

When you start seeing things like this laid it's almost too late to try to fix the problem.

Is a vet visit an option?

Now would be a good time to stop feeding everything but a layer type pelleted or crumbled feed.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

When you start seeing things like this laid it's almost too late to try to fix the problem.

Is a vet visit an option?

Now would be a good time to stop feeding everything but a layer type pelleted or crumbled feed.

There are no vets here that will see chickens. We can barely get a vet here to see a cat, they are booked months out. Thank you for your reply. I will do that.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This hen became impacted three days ago. I have put her in a dog crate. Fed coconut oil and water with apple cider vinegar in her water. Today she passed a mass that looks like a thin crumpled shell with tissue? I am posting pictures.

You can find Calcium Citrate with D3 at stores like Walmart, CVS, etc. Give her 1 tablet daily for a week. This may help her expel more material. It looks like shell membranes that she's expelled.
Does she act like she feels a bit better now since she passed that?

Do work on the crop is it doesn't empty overnight. Here's a good article to follow. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sick-chicken-urgent-help.1595288/post-27113296

She may have more issues going on, hard to know. But I'd work on getting her through this and see how it goes.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

You can find Calcium Citrate with D3 at stores like Walmart, CVS, etc. Give her 1 tablet daily for a week. This may help her expel more material. It looks like shell membranes that she's expelled.
Does she act like she feels a bit better now since she passed that?

Do work on the crop is it doesn't empty overnight. Here's a good article to follow. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sick-chicken-urgent-help.1595288/post-27113296

She may have more issues going on, hard to know. But I'd work on getting her through this and see how it goes.

Thank you. Yes she is doing better since passing the egg mass. Her crop is golf ball size this morning. Down from yesterday. Her stool looks better today. I will get her the vitamins today and start her on those.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

Just an update for anyone who might come across this needing the information; Im glad to say this hen is doing better but not 100% yet. Her crop is smaller every morning. She is moving around and acting like herself now though she hasn't passed anything else yet.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just an update for anyone who might come across this needing the information; Im glad to say this hen is doing better but not 100% yet. Her crop is smaller every morning. She is moving around and acting like herself now though she hasn't passed anything else yet.

I'm glad she is doing much better!

If you find that her crop is not emptying overnight, then monitor it closely or begin treating that symptom.
Often when a hen has been having troubles expelling material, laying eggs or having reproductive issues, the crop and/or digestive systems is slowed too. Getting on top of the crop symptoms can sometimes avoid the crop becoming sour due to it moving slowly. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/