Sick Chicken

[chick-adee]

Hi everyone! I've have a sick chicken named Owl and she has been acting funny. She is droopy and not nearly as active as usual. She is secreting a clear liquid goo from her vent and threw up stuff that looks the same. She has layed many soft shelled eggs recently, which is easy to fix (I have the chickens on shells now), but she is laying them in the weirdest places! She layed 1 in the run and 3 in one night while she was still perching! It makes no sense because she usually is a faithful layer and always lays in the nest box. After she lays a soft shelled egg she won't eat for a while (like an hour or so) and then she's fine! If anybody has any suggestions that would be great!

 

[MrsBrooke]

I would offer your all of you girls crushed oyster shells. Eggs shells are a great supplement but they don't have enough calcium in them alone.

I recommend bringing her inside and putting her some place warm, dim, and quiet. You could crush up a Tums for her to give a calcium boost to help with the eggs.

As for the clear liquid, what does her crop feel like - hard or spongy? Does she have any kind of smell coming from her mouth or vent? It's just clear liquid, like water?

Chickens do regurgitate sometimes, but she sounds like she's having more trouble than just that. :/

When was the last time you wormed your girls? I'd also check her from comb to claw for mites and lice.

MrsB

 

[chick-adee]

Great! Thanks, 'cause I need all the help that I can get! Just passing the 2 year mark for owning chickens! They have calcium pills that dissolve in water, do you think those would work too? Her crop is spongy and no smell. Its really weird because sometimes she's fine and next thing you know she won't eat and she hunches over. I do pumpkin seeds on occasion, but I'll get some real wormer like verm-x. I heard that is pretty good. I'll move her but she'll be so lonely

Maybe I'll move her buddy in with her..........

 

[MrsBrooke]

Great! Thanks, 'cause I need all the help that I can get! Just passing the 2 year mark for owning chickens! They have calcium pills that dissolve in water, do you think those would work too? Her crop is spongy and no smell. Its really weird because sometimes she's fine and next thing you know she won't eat and she hunches over. I do pumpkin seeds on occasion, but I'll get some real wormer like verm-x. I heard that is pretty good. I'll move her but she'll be so lonely

Maybe I'll move her buddy in with her..........

You can hang a mirror on her cage to keep her company. The calcium pills should be okay.

Pumpkin seeds and diatomaceous earth are NOT wormers, despite what the internet would have you believe.

Safe Guard (for horses and goats) or Valbazen (for goats) are probably two of the best wormers and will manage worms when used in concert as preventative treatments. You can usually get both of these at Tractor Supply, a local feed store, or online.

For the first time worming, either of those will work well.

When you say her crop is "spongy," is it empty in the morning and full at night? Or full and spongy all the time? If it's spongy all the time, it's possible she has an impacted crop. When you pick her up, can you feel her keel (sternum) bone very well? How much does she weigh (a kitchen scale from Walmart will do the job nicely!).

Keep an eye on her poops and let us know what they look like.

Let us know how she's doing.

MrsB

 

[chick-adee]

She weighs 3 1/2 pounds. Its always a little spongy but it not TOO bad but its still noticeable. I can feel her keel bone pretty well. I also asked a friend if she had an idea about it and she said the soft egg might have broken inside her and is being discharged through the vent. If it got infected that would explain the droopiness. What do you think?

 

[MrsBrooke]

It's possible... Lube your gloved finger and insert into her vent. You shouldn't have to go far. You may feel some obstruction. If you do, give her a warm Epsom salt soak... it may help her pass it.

If you feel nothing, it's possible she's got an infection.

You'll need antibiotics for that, but I'm unsure what kind and can't do very much on my phone. :/

Use the search engine to look up internal laying.

MrsB

 

[chick-adee]

Thank You! I'll do the worming and the bath just in case! I'll look it up and see if I can get some info.

 

[chick-adee]

Layed two more soft eggs. One under the porch one on my lap. Acted hunched over but now is happily eating oatmeal with oyster shell.