URGENT SICK HEN

[ducck]

Hi,
This is not much of introduction... I'll have to do one later!
One of my ex-battery hens (I have had for around 2 months) fell ill last Saturday- I diagnosed her with an impacted crop and spent the last week massaging it and taking her to the vet. The vet was willing to cut it open and remove the mass and told me to feed her liquids to keep her going until the operation. So for 3 days I fed her anything liquid that would keep her alive- milk, mashed peas, apple juice, apple sauce (homemade so no added sugars) and egg. By Thursday morning (the day of the operation) I went to check on her and the mass in her crop was gone and it felt normal again. I took her to the vet just to be sure and she agreed with me and advised me to keep finding liquids for another day to get her back on track.
However yesterday I noticed a deterioration in her behaviour, she was standing on one leg with her left eye closed. Although drinking a little she showed no interest in food and I was worried but had to leave her with my mum as I went to school. This morning she was worse- she seems to be unable to stand at all and is putting no weight on her right leg. She is off balance and when i put her down she topples on to her side. Her eyes are always shut, only occasionally opening one if I disturb her. Her comb although not the reddest usually is quite pale. She is not making any noise and isn't drinking or eating much if any. She has only pooped once and it was rather yellow-ish. I can't feel any egg inside but I'm not sure or experienced!
She is inside away from the other hen and I have given her her usual layers mash and some scrambled egg (which she ignored)
Any help is appreciated I do not want to lose her
Thank you so much!

 

[featherhead007]

Hi,
This is not much of introduction... I'll have to do one later!
One of my ex-battery hens (I have had for around 2 months) fell ill last Saturday- I diagnosed her with an impacted crop and spent the last week massaging it and taking her to the vet. The vet was willing to cut it open and remove the mass and told me to feed her liquids to keep her going until the operation. So for 3 days I fed her anything liquid that would keep her alive- milk, mashed peas, apple juice, apple sauce (homemade so no added sugars) and egg. By Thursday morning (the day of the operation) I went to check on her and the mass in her crop was gone and it felt normal again. I took her to the vet just to be sure and she agreed with me and advised me to keep finding liquids for another day to get her back on track.
However yesterday I noticed a deterioration in her behaviour, she was standing on one leg with her left eye closed. Although drinking a little she showed no interest in food and I was worried but had to leave her with my mum as I went to school. This morning she was worse- she seems to be unable to stand at all and is putting no weight on her right leg. She is off balance and when i put her down she topples on to her side. Her eyes are always shut, only occasionally opening one if I disturb her. Her comb although not the reddest usually is quite pale. She is not making any noise and isn't drinking or eating much if any. She has only pooped once and it was rather yellow-ish. I can't feel any egg inside but I'm not sure or experienced!
She is inside away from the other hen and I have given her her usual layers mash and some scrambled egg (which she ignored)
Any help is appreciated I do not want to lose her
Thank you so much!

You are on the right track to helping your hen

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post a picture of the droppings? How old is she? It sounds like she may be having reproductive issues. Can you use a disposable glove or clean hands and insert one lubricated finger inside her vent to feel for an egg or other blockage? Hens can become egg bound and may also have other blockages (lash egg material form salpingitis, tumor, papillomas, or constipation. Has she been laying recently? Is she molting? Offer some water and add electrolytes with vitamins.

 

[featherhead007]

Can you post a picture of the droppings? How old is she? It sounds like she may be having reproductive issues. Can you use a disposable glove or clean hands and insert one lubricated finger inside her vent to feel for an egg or other blockage? Hens can become egg bound and may also have other blockages (lash egg material form salpingitis, tumor, papillomas, or constipation. Has she been laying recently? Is she molting? Offer some water and add electrolytes with vitamins.

And prayer

 

[ducck]

Can you post a picture of the droppings? How old is she? It sounds like she may be having reproductive issues. Can you use a disposable glove or clean hands and insert one lubricated finger inside her vent to feel for an egg or other blockage? Hens can become egg bound and may also have other blockages (lash egg material form salpingitis, tumor, papillomas, or constipation. Has she been laying recently? Is she molting? Offer some water and add electrolytes with vitamins.

Ok will attach a picture - I don't think I have any electrolytes or vitamins... is there anything i can use that will work? She is 19 months now I think. I can't be sure but when I get her I was told she was around 17 months. I don't think she's melting but she hasn't many feathers anyways. She has layed one egg this pass week but I wasn't there and my mum said it didn't have a shell!? She ate it though.

 

[featherhead007]

I'm watching this thread closely, I have a sick barred rock hen as well.

 

[ducck]

Can you post a picture of the droppings? How old is she? It sounds like she may be having reproductive issues. Can you use a disposable glove or clean hands and insert one lubricated finger inside her vent to feel for an egg or other blockage? Hens can become egg bound and may also have other blockages (lash egg material form salpingitis, tumor, papillomas, or constipation. Has she been laying recently? Is she molting? Offer some water and add electrolytes with vitamins.

 

[Eggcessive]

A shell-less egg is very hard to pass, and they can become egg bound, but also that can be a sign of a reproductive infection. Can you offer some calcium, in a calcium tablet, Tums or calcium antacid, or pulverize a hard egg shell and feed it to her in some cooked egg? Calcium deficiency can be a problem, and it may help her pass an egg. Look for any yolk or albumen (egg whites) in her droppings.

Gatorade or Pedialyte are good sustitutes for electrolytes. And you can find homemade recepipes online for chickens.

 

[ducck]

A shell-less egg is very hard to pass, and they can become egg bound, but also that can be a sign of a reproductive infection. Can you offer some calcium, in a calcium tablet, Tums or calcium antacid, or pulverize a hard egg shell and feed it to her in some cooked egg? Calcium deficiency can be a problem, and it may help her pass an egg. Look for any yolk or albumen (egg whites) in her droppings.

Gatorade or Pedialyte are good sustitutes for electrolytes. And you can find homemade recepipes online for chickens.

Ok I''l grind up some shells for her. Is the yellow in the picture yolk? Do you think thins has been caused by the lack of oyster shells this past week when she had liquids? Thanks so much!

 

[ducck]

A shell-less egg is very hard to pass, and they can become egg bound, but also that can be a sign of a reproductive infection. Can you offer some calcium, in a calcium tablet, Tums or calcium antacid, or pulverize a hard egg shell and feed it to her in some cooked egg? Calcium deficiency can be a problem, and it may help her pass an egg. Look for any yolk or albumen (egg whites) in her droppings.

Gatorade or Pedialyte are good sustitutes for electrolytes. And you can find homemade recepipes online for chickens.

I have done the egg shell and cooked egg but she is showing no signs of interest and is not eating it. Should I put it down her throat? Or would that be dangerous?