Sick Hen...any advice ?

[monathequeen]

Hi Folks,
My 4 yr old hen( Brown Leghorn) , is not doing well. I think she may be egg bound.
Her tummy is very swollen and she is just walking around very slowly.
No Energy.
She seems to be eating ok and she roams with the others but not showing any enthusiasm at all. I don't know what to do accept watch her. I had a Duck who was egg bound as well and she is doing fine now.
Will hens who are egg-bound eventually get past this or will she die ? I hate to loose her since she was one of my first babies. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I would put her in a warm bath. If she really is egg bound, then that may help loosen the egg - help her relax so she can lay it.

If it isn't, i might suspect peritonitis (egg yolks collecting inside the abdomen that make a great environment for bacterial infection). The warm bath can't hurt in this case either, since heat helps fight infection.

 

[DaniLovesChickens]

Usuall if they're eggbound you can actually see the egg. If you can't see it then I would think she might be laying internally.

If she's laying internally, you would want to give her an antibiotic to fight an infection. It just depends on what you want to do. The warm bath should make her feel better though.

 

[monathequeen]

I soaked her in a very warm bath just now for about 10 min. She almost feel asleep...I think she actually enjoyed it.
I'm going to go get some yogurt and try feeding her that. I'm not too sure she has ate lately.
I have her wrapped up in a towell in a laundry basket right now. She is sleeping.
I hope she dosen't die on me tonight but i fear she will...I will surely miss her.
I massaged her belly while she was soaking...she had allot of dry poop around her vent which i was able to clean it all off....Pray for my little Phoebe folks...Thanks. Ray
I don't have a way to take her to the vet so I will nurse her at home and hope for the best.

 

[monathequeen]

I forgot to add that she was wheezing when I took her out of the bath....mabey she just has a cold and will be fine ???

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
Is it possible that she got some water in her nose or mouth while taking the bath?

I ask because chickens don't really get colds. They get diseases. But most of the time, if respiratory symptoms are involved, it's something contagious and permanent. Please keep a close eye on that and continue to keep her away from the other chickens.

 

[monathequeen]

She is doing better today.
I think the yogurt may have helped some.
Still very slow but walking around and able to jump up to the roost...Good right ??

 

[PunkinPeep]

I think that sounds better.