Sick serama?!?! Advice please!!

[Sgalli]

Hello all, went to check the birds this morning and my poor little serama slowly walked up to me this morning. She looked cold and pathetic. Shivering. Over all lethargic. She feels a bit lighter than normal. Her comb and wattles are red still. I brought her inside to warm up on the heating pad. I’m trying to decide if she’s got some sort of respiratory issue perhaps? When she’s breathing, her whole body moves with her. Not sure if that makes sense. No sneezing that I have noticed yet. I just lost one of my birds to a mysterious predator, I can’t see another go. Not her!!! If anyone has advice, I’d much appreciate it! Thanks in advance.

 

[Sgalli]

Hello all, went to check the birds this morning and my poor little serama slowly walked up to me this morning. She looked cold and pathetic. Shivering. Over all lethargic. She feels a bit lighter than normal. Her comb and wattles are red still. I brought her inside to warm up on the heating pad. I’m trying to decide if she’s got some sort of respiratory issue perhaps? When she’s breathing, her whole body moves with her. Not sure if that makes sense. No sneezing that I have noticed yet. I just lost one of my birds to a mysterious predator, I can’t see another go. Not her!!! If anyone has advice, I’d much appreciate it! Thanks in advance.

Would also like to mention, I give her a higher protein feed bc I also have a couple silkies. She hasn’t had any issues with this before. Not that I have noticed anyway.

 

[Aunt Angus]

What a cute little thing she is!

Is she having any discharge from her nares or beak? And are her eyes clear (no bubbles or gunk)?

 

[Aunt Angus]

And could she be straining to pass an egg??? Possibly egg bound???

 

[Sgalli]

And could she be straining to pass an egg??? Possibly egg bound???

After close examination…. I think this is exactly what the problem is!!!! Help me please!!! I hope I’m not too late!!! She is currently soaking in warm steamy bath with a little epsom salt. Going to massage her abdomen a little bit. What else can I do for her ?!?! I don’t want to lose her.

 

[Sgalli]

What a cute little thing she is!

Is she having any discharge from her nares or beak? And are her eyes clear (no bubbles or gunk)?

No gunk that I can see, I am starting to think she is egg bound. I think I can feel it. Soaking her now

 

[Aunt Angus]

Fingers crossed! I've not dealt with egg bound hens yet. I know from reading that lubricating their vebts can help.

Oh, I do hope she's ok!

 

[Sgalli]

Fingers crossed! I've not dealt with egg bound hens yet. I know from reading that lubricating their vebts can help.

Oh, I do hope she's ok!

Y’all!!!! I could not be more happy right now. After a long soaking, massaging, oil, over and over and over and over…. Poor baby…. She kept pushing, pushing, pushing… a little blood was coming out. The egg FINALLY passed. Thank God!!!! I am so happy!!!! I really don’t know how long she had been like that. She hadn’t laid in about a week. Thank you for your help!!! I am so so so happy she’s feeling better. And not even a prolapse either!!!
Thanks for the advice and love!!!!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Beat news ever!!!!!

I am so happy it worked out (literally and figuratively)!

 

[Noellereagan]

Oh honey. My heart breaks to say this but I must tell you my experience. I have over 200 serama as a breeder and show exhibitor. So when it comes to things happening - been there done that. But my experience with egg binding is one that has left a piece of my heart gone forever. One I must share because now you are in the shoes I was then. I wish I would’ve had someone express the urgency of the situation that I’m about to for you.
I wear a little tiny legband on a necklace around my neck with the number 35 on it. A tiny type A with a huge personality and even bigger heart used to wear it around her dainty little ankle. She was a pretty girl- which ended up her name. She hatched March 5, 2019 and came out with a bang. She was my favorite and lived inside with me. At 4 months old she was crowned with best in class and then best female at a tabletop show. The judge called her a hen that crowed. She was the sweetest friendliest angel on earth. She was my co pilot sitting on my passenger seat rather than a crate on long travels to shows.
the first year of her life was fun and smooth sailing. But the second year she started laying rubber eggs. She was seen by a few avian vets and we tried everything. When I say everything, I mean everything. She started to internally lay and needed a round of antibiotics after each time for obvious reasons. One day I soaked her and she laid a rubber egg and the normal egg that was in line right behind it! This went on for a year. It took a toll on her body. Fast forward to last February. In the second month of 2020, I woke up to not hearing her scuffle around like I normally would in the am. She didn’t feel well. My avian vet who’s amazing and coveted literally world wide agrees to meet me at the emergency clinic. He had full permission to go to whatever means possible. He knew what she means to me.
his call that afternoon was the third that day. The first two were rather hopeful and saying how we know she’s a fighter. The third was delivered very tough news and I swear his voice cracked as I nearly collapsed. I still cry. Often. She lies below our flag in eternal rest. I miss her so deeply. So does her mate. I thought he would die himself for months after she passed. It’s something neither of us will recover from. Not completely he sure is attached to me since then. Even though he lives with one of this hens (grahm) daughters.
the thing you need to know is that once they are egg bound- it happens again and again. And worsens. There are few exceptions to this. Watch her close. That’s the best you can do. Act fast. But I’m worried for you. Especially if you love her. The only solution is to breed serama to be a little bigger. I have started to pull the teeny tiny ones out of the program. But that’s the kind people love unfortunately. So I don’t see others following suit. Plus they don’t breed true so you never know what you’ll get. Best of luck to you and your sweet hen. Hopefully you’re one of the rare ones that it never happens again.
I’ve attached a photo of my sweet grahm and her mate Delaney (who is now taken the spot of my fav)