Sick hen

[cbascom]

Hi everyone. I have an Easter Egger hen, about 3 yrs old. On Sunday she began walking/sitting like a penguin. Was still bright and alert, eating and drinking. I felt inside her vent as far as a lubed finger can go, can not feel an egg or anything else. No diarrhea that I can tell. Abdomen felt largish and soft. She lives with 4 other hens and a rooster, they have all been together at least 1.5 yrs. After an internet search, and talking with my vet friend (I am a veterinary technician), I decided that she may have some sort of bacterial/viral/parasitic infection, or else possibly an internal laying issue. So we separated her from the others and started her on SMZ in the water. The cage we moved her to is quite confining, but enough room for her food & water,and for her to stand comfortably and take a couple of steps in either direction. Tues and Wed she began to seem perkier. Then Thursday, she was standing normally, walking normally, looking like nothing was wrong. We decided that since the antibiotics were apparently helping, it must be more of an infection than internal laying. So we returned her to the flock planning to begin treatment on everyone. The other hens of course were immediately bullying her...and the rooster mounted her repeatedly. Within 15 minutes, she was sitting and walking like a penguin again, and actually trembling, collapsing against the coop wall. We took her back to her seclusion...this morning, she is standing and walking normally again. Oh yes, we did notice mites on her during all this (eeekk). So our game plan right now is to continue keeping her separated, and continue antibiotics. But I don't understand what is going on? I am unsure about her egg laying prior to being separated, but she has not laid an egg since Monday for sure. (today is Friday). But don't they typically stop laying when sick/stressed anyway regardless of the nature of the illness?

Thanks!
Cindy Bascom

 

[realsis]

the penguin walk is a classic symptom of egg binding. you should give her a calcium pill to help her lay. also give her a warm bath to relax her muscles. this also might help her lay. you can lube her vent with something that won't go rancid like ky jelly . massage her abdomen to try to help her along. you can give antibiotics increase she is laying internally to prevent infection while she tries to expel the egg or contents of the egg.. if you look up hen walking like a penguin it will help give you. some tips also. I wish you the best and good luck.

 

[realsis]

here is a link for you to read about penguin walking and treatment. hope it helps http://hencam.com/faq/egg-bound-hens/

 

[Haunted55]

Hi everyone. I have an Easter Egger hen, about 3 yrs old. On Sunday she began walking/sitting like a penguin. Was still bright and alert, eating and drinking. I felt inside her vent as far as a lubed finger can go, can not feel an egg or anything else. No diarrhea that I can tell. Abdomen felt largish and soft. She lives with 4 other hens and a rooster, they have all been together at least 1.5 yrs. After an internet search, and talking with my vet friend (I am a veterinary technician), I decided that she may have some sort of bacterial/viral/parasitic infection, or else possibly an internal laying issue. So we separated her from the others and started her on SMZ in the water. The cage we moved her to is quite confining, but enough room for her food & water,and for her to stand comfortably and take a couple of steps in either direction. Tues and Wed she began to seem perkier. Then Thursday, she was standing normally, walking normally, looking like nothing was wrong. We decided that since the antibiotics were apparently helping, it must be more of an infection than internal laying. So we returned her to the flock planning to begin treatment on everyone. The other hens of course were immediately bullying her...and the rooster mounted her repeatedly. Within 15 minutes, she was sitting and walking like a penguin again, and actually trembling, collapsing against the coop wall. We took her back to her seclusion...this morning, she is standing and walking normally again. Oh yes, we did notice mites on her during all this (eeekk). So our game plan right now is to continue keeping her separated, and continue antibiotics. But I don't understand what is going on? I am unsure about her egg laying prior to being separated, but she has not laid an egg since Monday for sure. (today is Friday). But don't they typically stop laying when sick/stressed anyway regardless of the nature of the illness?

Thanks!
Cindy Bascom

If you are a Vet Tech, see if you can arrange an X-ray for her. It may be EYP that you're dealing with. I am going to forward this thread link to someone who has a lot of experience with this and maybe can help. It doesn't sound to me to be a simple case of egg binding, if it were the antibiotics wouldn't have worked this way. Hens don't always stop laying because they are sick. Their systems form and expel an egg every 24 hrs.. there are some times when extreme stress and sickness will stop laying, such as molting can, but most often it would take a lot more than you've described to cause this.

 

[dawg53]

She is eggbound. Stop the antibiotics. Soak her in a container of warm water up to her sides. No need for epsom salts and dont give her any to drink as that link suggests. Epsom salts will cause diarrhea. While she's soaking in the warm water, gently massage her underside front to rear for about 20 minutes. The warm water will relax her and expand her innards. Massaging will help the egg move along. Hopefully she'll lay the egg. Repeat as necessary. If she is egg impacted, she will eventually die.
Once she lays the egg, dry her well, then treat her for mites. Mites suck blood and cause anemia, then death. I recommend sevin dust to treat her and coop/nests. Redust her and coops/nests in 7-10 days.

 

[casportpony]

If she is egg bound, you should be able to palpate an egg by doing a cloacal exam. If you feel an egg, try giving her some calcium, I'd give 1000 mg orally if she were mine.

If you can't feel an egg, she probably has ascities (fluid in abdomen) due to EYP, cancer or age.

Since you're a vet tech, you could also do a gram stain on the fluid from her belly and poop.

 

[casportpony]

Oh, and welcome to BYC!

 

[cbascom]

Thank you everyone for your help....still don't know what's going on with her but she is not really better. She is walking almost normally, and eating/drinking, however,she has not laid an egg in at least 11 days. Could be longer, but that's how long she's been separated. I cannot feel an egg on palpation, but tonight I noticed for the first time that she was sitting in her little box make egg laying motions.
I thank you all for this wonderful resource and I will let you know what happens.

 

[casportpony]

Thank you everyone for your help....still don't know what's going on with her but she is not really better. She is walking almost normally, and eating/drinking, however,she has not laid an egg in at least 11 days. Could be longer, but that's how long she's been separated. I cannot feel an egg on palpation, but tonight I noticed for the first time that she was sitting in her little box make egg laying motions.
I thank you all for this wonderful resource and I will let you know what happens.

Is her belly like a water balloon? Have you checked the inside of her vent for an egg or masses?

 

[cbascom]

Her belly was large and felt fluid filled when this first started. Since then it has become more normal feeling, although there is day to day variation with some days feeling larger than others. I cannot feel an egg or a mass on external or internal palpation. She is still eating and active.