Squishy crop, strange poop

[Ccort]

I'm so nervous. I hate this.

Why does she need a quiet place? I'm asking because I wondered if she needs to be still and calm? Or if I can walk her around the yard with me?

 

[azygous]

She just needs to be kept from stress and being around flock activity could stress her. You can walk her around like they do a human in labor who is struggling getting the "obstruction" out.

 

[Ccort]

She just needs to be kept from stress and being around flock activity could stress her. You can walk her around like they do a human in labor who is struggling getting the "obstruction" out.

Ok.

I'm sorry I ask so many questions. She is walking around outside, eating grass and wants to eat their flock block. But have not seen her eat any actual chicken feed. Any thoughts on this? Will it cause harm if she is eating only grass/flock block ?

I'm worried about her not eating at all if no snacks but obviously not wanting to cause more harm

 

[azygous]

That she is walking around and not collapsed in exhaustion is a miracle. Let her eat whatever she wants to keep her energy up. Starvation is one of the biggest risks when there' an egg blockage because it can affect appetite and pooping.

Keep up with the calcium. That's the most important thing. It will help propel that egg out if it's going to come out at all.

 

[Ccort]

That she is walking around and not collapsed in exhaustion is a miracle. Let her eat whatever she wants to keep her energy up. Starvation is one of the biggest risks when there' an egg blockage because it can affect appetite and pooping.

Keep up with the calcium. That's the most important thing. It will help propel that egg out if it's going to come out at all.

Here she is right now. Her rear is covered with the yellow poop so ignore that.

I planned to give 800 mg twice a day of the supplement you recommended. Hope that is a good amount.

Thank you for all your help.

 

[azygous]

Her posture is very encouraging. A hen that is in as much trouble as she is would be looking pretty droopy and ragged by this time. But continue the calcium as you have and encourage her to drink her water to stay hydrated.

Hopefully, you will make an announcement in the morning about an egg.

A word of warning, if she pushes out a collapsed egg instead of an intact egg, she will need more antibiotics to counter infection from a broken yolk.

 

[Ccort]

Her posture is very encouraging. A hen that is in as much trouble as she is would be looking pretty droopy and ragged by this time. But continue the calcium as you have and encourage her to drink her water to stay hydrated.

Hopefully, you will make an announcement in the morning about an egg.

A word of warning, if she pushes out a collapsed egg instead of an intact egg, she will need more antibiotics to counter infection from a broken yolk.

No egg.

 

[azygous]

That's disappointing to say the least. What is her behavior like? Any signs of exhaustion?

 

[Ccort]

That's disappointing to say the least. What is her behavior like? Any signs of exhaustion?

She seems perky. Walking around, pecking at the pile of dirt I brought in. Still won't eat her actual chicken food but going to keep giving treats. She's pooping.

 

[azygous]

Here's what may have happened since her behavior is definitely not that of a hen with an obstruction in her oviduct. A yolk that enters the oviduct at ovulation can become lodged, not moving, remaining at the top of the oviduct and gathering layers of albumin (white). That was where she was when the vet saw her.

At some point in the last 24 hours, this hapless egg bounced out of the oviduct due to an oviduct malformation and spilled into the abdominal cavity, relieving her of the pain and discomfort she has been experiencing. This is what her perky behavior is telling us may have happened.

However, if this is what has happened, it has only bought her a little time before she faces the consequences of "internal laying". This is a condition where other ovum do the same thing, resulting in an accumulation of eggs in her abdominal cavity. At some point she will become very sick and death follows.

There is a very small chance this egg, if it isn't wrapped in too many layers of albumen, will absorb into her body, disappear in other words. We can't know, though, exactly what is actually happening, just the possibilities.

It's likely that your hen has a poorly developed oviduct to have all this happen. You should be prepared for all this to happen again, even though right now it appears she's over this crisis.

I suggest you return her to her normal routine with her flock as if none of this has happened and let her get back to normal life, as short as that prognosis may be.