Sick hen

[Carlyle37]

Hi, I've had my 2 ex batts for 4 months now and they've recovered their feathers and are laying regularly. 2 days ago, one of them was just standing hunched and not being her usual bossy self. since she had been laying soft shell eggs for 2 days prior to this. I brought her in and gave her a warm bath and some mash and yoghurt. She perked up so I left her isolated in her crate outside so the 2 hen's can be together. She was totally fine yesterday so I left them to it. I gave her half a crushed up calcium tablet in yoghurt in case she's low on calcium. This morning she was slow to come out of her house and stood in her hunched position again. No egg from her either and her poop (I assume it's hers) was watery and white. Pictures attached. I brought her in again and have her in her crate with mash and water but she's not showing much interest in either. She will still eat mealworms though. Her breathing sounds fine, occasional I hear a little whistle. She was wormed in January. I examined her this morning and her abdomen feels normal (I can't feel any hardness) and her crop is mostly empty with a bit of fluid (water? She drank this morning). She passed some little hard black stools in the crate too. What do you think is wrong with her? She's now stood in her crate, closing her eyes every now and then.

[/IMG]

 

[Carlyle37]

Here's the picture of the poo. She just passed more white watery poos .

 

[Carlyle37]

Just an update, she's passed a soft shell egg and had a small prolapse. I nipped out to get Epsom salts and by then it had mostly gone back in. I gave her a warm bath but she really did not want to sit down in it so not much water covered her vent. Some small bits of soft shell were dragged back in with the prolapse - but the yolk seems intact in the passed shell. Hope she will be fine. Have been advised to keep her on grain and not layers feed for a few days and monitor.
Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC!

Offer her her normal feed with oyster shell free choice. You can give her the other half of the crushed calcium tablet later in the day.
Make sure she is staying hydrated - give some poultry vitamins like Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell in her water if you have it.

Since part of the soft shell went back inside when the prolapse went back in, she will need to expel that. Drinking plenty of water and having extra calcium may help with the contractions to get that out.

Grain by itself is not nutritionally balanced enough for a sick hen - it can be used as a treat - if you feel like she needs something "extra" offer more protein like chopped egg, tuna, mackerel or meat.


http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/07/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/prolapse-vent-causes-treatment-graphic.html

 

[Carlyle37]

Thanks! I've offered oyster shell and she had her beak in that straightaway. Hope she's through the worst of it. Have vitamins and ACV in her water too. Fingers crossed!