Sick chicken. Eggbound?

[pgorby]

Any advice on a female who is leaning against the side of the pen I have her in and when she does stand up it is straight up? See notes below for additional info. Thanks for any advice.

1) What type of bird , age and weight. Wyandotte, 2 years, 3lbs
2) What is the behavior, exactly: She was laying in the corner of the coop on the floor so I brought her inside and put her in a dog crate. She is leaning up against the side of the crate and when she stands up it is straight up like a penguin.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? started 6 days ago
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? no
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.no
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. no
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. yes. she eats when I hold the food and water in front of her.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. very runny and smelly
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? I soaked her in warm water 3 days in a row and started treatment for Coccidia.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? I am trying to treat her myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or cond no

 

[cstronks]

You will actually need to take the chicken and rub her stomach to feel if there is an egg stuck in there. Do it gently so you do not break the egg, because that will cause more serious health issues. If you feel what appears to be a bump, oil the vent well and slowly nudge it along using your hand. The bird may squirm in discomfort, so it is best to have another person hold her while this is done. Once the vent is well lubricated, she may give it another shot and try and pass the egg. If not, you can attempt to move it closer to the vent. If it is extremely close to the vent, you can use a finger to move it and make sure it is properly positioned to come out, or possibly slide it out yourself. Had you seen her in the nesting box during this 6 day duration? Also, does she walk like a penguin when she does move? These are also signs of egg-binding.

 

[ten chicks]

Chickens that are egg bound normally do not live much more than a couple of says,since she has been like this for 6 days i would be more inclined to suspect peritonitis,is her abdomen enlarged? This penguin stance is common with peritonitis reason is pressure on other organs and difficulty breathing.

For future reference if you ever suspect any bird is egg bound,immediately do a cloacal exam as egg binding does kill. To do a cloacal exam put on gloves with lubricant insert finger into vent and see if you feel an egg or broken pieces. If you feel an egg,give hen a tums or calcium tablet(break into pieces and give orally) this usually helps pass egg,often within an hour. Keep hen warm/quiet/calm and in a dark location. You can do a warm water soak,unless hen is showing signs of stress then i would not soak.

If you find broken pieces of shell,gently remove be careful you do not want to accidentally cut her internally. You can flush out vent with a diluted vinegar/water solution,this helps flush out egg contents and with bacteria,but with this condition an infection often results.

 

[pgorby]

Thank you for the help! She is eating and drinking and walking a little. Her breathing is not labored. We will check to see if there is a broken egg. I hate that I don't know what is wrong with her.