Watery poop

[HeyHo]

Can you feel inside her vent about 1-2" for an egg?

Sounds like she's working on another one - if it's a soft shelled egg those are hard to expel.
I would go ahead and give her 1/2 tablet of Caltrate or 1 TUMS for quick uptake of Calcium.
If you have it, I would also direct dose her with poultry vitamins like Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell.

The white liquid coming out - that's a bit concerning too. Can you tell if it's urates or possibly egg material?

If your girls are anxious/stressed due to predator pressure, this would be a contributing factor in the egg quality problems.

What's going on - what type of predator? You may need to trap and dispatch some predators to get your flock back into good health.

Yes, I just felt inside her vent and there is no egg. I have been been giving her calcium gluonate solution (23%) in wet feed with Nutridrench. She is eating a little and drinking. I believe the white liquid is urates and not egg matter. Her comb and wattles are red, her eyes look clear, but she is puffed up and not moving around much. Her crop seems kind of firm and lumpy, as if it did not empty last night.

We have had a series of predator issues recently: (1) a fox coming around in the mornings; (2) a neighbor's dog that was getting loose; and (3) a nearby hawk nest. All these seemed to have resolved/lessened, but the girls are still very anxious. I have been watching closely for any other issues and see that they react to absolutely everything -- ambulance sirens, lawn mowers, rabbits running by, etc. I will also get my night cameras going to make sure there's nothing that is bothering them, but I see no evidence of raccoons or anything trying to get into the coop.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her crop seems kind of firm and lumpy, as if it did not empty last night.

I would definitely check the crop again in the morning before she eats/drinks.

If you feel her abdomen below the vent between the legs do you feel any swelling?

If your hens are still acting anxious, then likely something is still coming around or has them disturbed. Hopefully you can figure that out and get it corrected. Stress can really impact their health.

 

[HeyHo]

I would definitely check the crop again in the morning before she eats/drinks.

If you feel her abdomen below the vent between the legs do you feel any swelling?

If your hens are still acting anxious, then likely something is still coming around or has them disturbed. Hopefully you can figure that out and get it corrected. Stress can really impact their health.

Yes, I will check to make sure her crop isn't impacted tomorrow morning. How many issues can one poor chicken have at a time? And her abdomen below her vent does seem a little swollen but it hard for me to say, I've been bothering her so much today with baths and blow drying and vent checks. I may be oversensitive to everything at the moment.

I'm just going to let her be for the next few hours and keep giving her mash with supplements.

 

[HeyHo]

Her crop is the same as yesterday -- rather firm and it did not go down overnight. But it is not particularly large.

She has not eaten anything today but will drink a little (water with nutridrench). She ate only mash yesterday. She has been pooping, although not as much as usual, obviously. She does seem to pulse her vent pretty regularly, but she has not laid an egg since the soft-shelled one Monday night.

I'm really hesitant to do anything for possible impacted crop when I think she's still working on an egg. Thoughts?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her crop is the same as yesterday -- rather firm and it did not go down overnight. But it is not particularly large.

She has not eaten anything today but will drink a little (water with nutridrench). She ate only mash yesterday. She has been pooping, although not as much as usual, obviously. She does seem to pulse her vent pretty regularly, but she has not laid an egg since the soft-shelled one Monday night.

I'm really hesitant to do anything for possible impacted crop when I think she's still working on an egg. Thoughts?

I would probably begin treating her for the crop issues. Reproductive problems and crop issues seem to go together - one leads to the other.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[HeyHo]

OK, I'm on it. She is still with us. Pooping and uncomfortable, but alert and clear-eyed. I've got my coconut oil in the freezer now. How long can they go without food? It has now been 2 days since she's really eaten anything.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is she pooping? What's that like?

They can go a few days without food, but do need water so make that available.

 

[HeyHo]

Yes, she is pooping. This latest one has a little bit of red in it. She has been drinking all along.

I got coconut oil into her (although we are both wearing a fair amount) and massaged her for 20 minutes or so. The crop feels noticeably different now, soft and pliable.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes, she is pooping. This latest one has a little bit of red in it. She has been drinking all along.

I got coconut oil into her (although we are both wearing a fair amount) and massaged her for 20 minutes or so. The crop feels noticeably different now, soft and pliable.

View attachment 2200535

See how she does with the coconut oil. Soft and pliable it sounds doughy(?) Hopefully the coconut oil will get things moving.
Crop issues can be a bear to correct sometimes, a lot depends on why it's not emptying. I've found most of the time with laying hens they have a reproductive problem that's causing inflammation that's slowing things down.

 

[HeyHo]

See how she does with the coconut oil. Soft and pliable it sounds doughy(?) Hopefully the coconut oil will get things moving.
Crop issues can be a bear to correct sometimes, a lot depends on why it's not emptying. I've found most of the time with laying hens they have a reproductive problem that's causing inflammation that's slowing things down.

The article makes it seem like, if the treatment is working, then the crop will quickly drain -- is that true? I wouldn't say "doughy" (like a water balloon). Its just not hard and lumpy anymore.