Trying to stay calm even though we've got blood

[chickenbottom]

Quote:
i think shes trying to lay a first egg she may have some blood from it being the first egg it might be larger but thats what i think good luck

 

[LynneP]

Now that she's clean and a bit more comfortable, you could offer her a heating pad or hot water bottle to keep her chute dilated. Lots of clean rags too. Buffs tend to have big eggs and her parts may be struggling with the first one...and food with calcium like leafy greens, yogurt, or layer rations mixed with applesauce or water. The reason for this is that when muscles struggle, they use enormous amounts of calcium. Layers need the calcium both for shells and for muscle activity.

 

[AmyRey]

Oh gosh! If this is nothing more going on than her first egg, I hope all their first eggs aren't this stressful!

An update:

We got another poop. Not as much (slightly more than normal) and not as watery as the first (although it wasn't as firm as normal either). No abnormal colors though, which I take as a good sign.

Now that it's warmer outside than in the house, I took her crate outside under a shade tree and next to the chicken tractor with the other chickens. She seemed to perk up a good deal when she could see the other hens and our rooster. Her tail's not droopy anymore, although her back end is still wet and looks pretty pathetic. lol

I also gave her a bowl of plain layer crumbles to go along with her water and the yogurt/oatmeal/crumble mixture from this morning. She still doesn't seem terribly interested in eating or drinking much.

I guess that's all for now. I'll post more if anything changes.

And thanks, ya'll, for not yelling at me for being so annoying.

Edited to add: Oh and I felt her crop too. This is definitely not the lump I was feeling last night. And it seems perfectly normal too. A little empty, but I guess this is understandable since she hasn't eaten much.

Edited again to add: Thanks, Lynnie! I will take her out some plain yogurt. Chickens can have milk too, right? That would make me feel better about the possibility of her becoming dehydrated. That darn chicken's gonna have a flippin buffet out there soon. lol

 

[NotTheMomma]

Hi Amy!
Sorry I fell asleep on ya last night.

Eating and drinking are good signs! A sick chicken will often pass those things up. I'm glad you aren't seeing a prolapse issue. Those look scary, eh?

The crop SHOULD be empty each morning. They go to bed with a full belly aka crop, and it digests through-out the night. Perfect way for us subchicken levels to figure out if the crop is working well. Full at night, mommy's delight! Full in the morning, mommy head warning!

Now as to what we are dealing with? Sounds like she is trying to lay her first egg. And NO, they don't usually do this, as the first eggs are usually smaller than average, thus allowing them to pass them without a problem. BUT, just like some subchicken level humans that have those 10-11lbs first babies....some chickens will lay a huge first time egg that is difficult to lay.

My other concern would be the amount of poop she seems to be having, that does NOT look like normal poop. Has she been wormed lately? Have you seen ANYTHING moving in the poop? Which brings up the possibility of the bleeding coming from a huge poop. We just don't know, and are really going through a trial elimination. Hey, at least I haven't billed ya for $100/hr like a doc or mechanic would!

Milk is OK. In fact. that mash with yogurt and her feed would probably be rather tasty to her. Getting necessary vitamins as well as fluids in her. Mine love spoiled milk the best.

Ugh, I've got a headache, and can't keep my train of thought this morning....forgot what else I was going to type.

Ok, monitor for intake, and output, as ya doing, and keep reporting it to Amy, cause she needs to know these things.

 

[NotTheMomma]

Oh, I remember now, if it does appear to be a first time egg, with the pulsating vent, and that hard feeling ya felt, give her a TUMS. It will give her a boost of calcium, and could help pass that baby!

 

[kycklingar!]

As far as the occasional dark poops, as long as there are perfectly normal poops between dark poops, they're probably cecal defecation. It's a regular flushing of the colon, and healthy chickens do it too. It's very smelly...
Here's hoping the TUMS work to help her pass that first egg!

 

[AHappychick]

I am wondering if the egg inside broke. and the shell has cut her on the inside. You are getting some good advise i think and are doing all you an. I would keep up the baths and the suppliments reccomended and see how she does. Maybe you did feel an egg stuck in there before but it may have broken and having a hard time coming out. all vents pulse/contract btw. Good Luck!

 

[AmyRey]

I'm headed to town for an hour or two in a little while. And a church on the way has asked to borrow a chicken for their VBS kick off today (it's a "farm" theme) so I'll need the crate she's in. I think I'll put her upstairs by herself in the tractor while I'm gone. Plenty of room. There are nest boxes in there also. I won't be able to monitor her poop as well, but for now there seems to be no issues with her output (other than the watery nature). Normal coloring. Normal amounts now. Nothing moving in it either. We have not wormed them in the two weeks they've been here. I don't know if they prior owner treated them for worms or not.

I will also pick up some Tums before I leave and put that in her water or milk. She liked the yogurt.

And for the past week or so, I have had oyster shells available for them, but they couldn't seem to care less.

Thanks for all your help thusfar. Amy will be glad to know her chicken probably isn't going to drop dead in the next ten minutes.

 

[LynneP]

This one will become a real pet. They love attention. It's been over 6 weeks since my Zipfi was cured of impacted crop and she is still on my shoulder, in my arms or on my back first...

 

[AmyRey]

She was already my favorite.

Just got home and she seems to be doing okay. She's in the top of the tractor right now. No more bleeding and her feathers are finally beginning to dry.

Can't monitor her poop very well though, since it's pine shavings. But I'll have the crate back in a few more hours.