What’s happening to my hens??

[Farmingmum91]

Yesturday I had to bring in one of my hens to monitor her as not sure if she was eggbound, I picked her up checked her vent (clean) I can’t feel any lumps or bumps or feel an egg, she’s eating, drinking. Her poops however are very smelly and green. She’s very hunched up and doesn’t roam around with the other chickens.
This morning whilst doing my morning rounds I saw another hen hunched up, this time she had a soft shell (half of the shell) sticking out of her vent, I pulled it off and the other half is still in her so not sure if the yolk has gone into her body or if it was just an empty lining of the shell?? Anyway she’s not eating or drinking and keeping herself away from the others too. Now I’m not sure whether to cull them as not sure what’s wrong with them and thinking it could be a virus ?

 

[Farmingmum91]

First picture is of the hen I found this morning with a soft shell egg attached to her (couldn’t feel an egg) and the second is the green poop chicken

 

[Eggcessive]

Reproductive issues are very common in hens over 2 or 3. How old are these hens? It looks like the one hen is beginning to molt, or is she being feather picked? You would have to get an antibiotic from your vet, but the hen whose egg membrane was hanging out may need an antibiotic such as amoxicillin, if her egg broke inside. The egg contents may have already come out, or she may just be putting out egg parts and membranes. If you can get human calcium tablets with vitamin D, give her one every day for the next few days, to help her produce a hard shell and pass the eggs.

How does the crop feel in the other hen? I would try to get her eating and drinking. You can try scrambled egg or tuna, and wet chicken feed with a bit of yogurt may appeal and provide some probiotics.

 

[Farmingmum91]

Reproductive issues are very common in hens over 2 or 3. How old are these hens? It looks like the one hen is beginning to molt, or is she being feather picked? You would have to get an antibiotic from your vet, but the hen whose egg membrane was hanging out may need an antibiotic such as amoxicillin, if her egg broke inside. The egg contents may have already come out, or she may just be putting out egg parts and membranes. If you can get human calcium tablets with vitamin D, give her one every day for the next few days, to help her produce a hard shell and pass the eggs.

How does the crop feel in the other hen? I would try to get her eating and drinking. You can try scrambled egg or tuna, and wet chicken feed with a bit of yogurt may appeal and provide some probiotics.

Thank you so much for your help, the other one perked up, no worms in her poo and she’s eating and walking around now. I’ve brought in the other hen with the egg problem, she was brooding over three eggs this morning laid by the other hens, shes nibbled on some oyster shells and is currently having a nap, think I’m going to have to give her water through a syringe though as she hasn’t been drinking

 

[Farmingmum91]

This is her currently

 

[Eggcessive]

It is good to check their crops early in the morning to see if it is emptying overnight. Then also check the lower belly under the vent to see if it seems more enlarged than normal, and can be a sign of water belly (ascites.)

 

[Farmingmum91]

She has luminous green poops, not sure what that means…I thought she was egg bound but I really don’t think she is as I can’t feel any egg inside her.

 

[Farmingmum91]

Update, she has a lump the size of a golf ball on her chest….

 

[Eggcessive]

Green poops are usually from not eating much food. Is the lump on her chest over her keel (breastbone,) separate from her crop, and is it hard or soft? Would it show up in a picture? Will she eat some watery chicken feed, scrambled egg, canned cat food, or tuna? Chicken feed is best, but the others can be alternated to tempt her to eat. Is she drinking water normally?

 

[Farmingmum91]

It was her crop, I felt the wheat in there, it was moveable so it’s not hard thankgod. She was drinking here and there, I’ve put vitamins added to her water and I also gave her oyster shells but because she’s really full in her crop I’ve took the food out for now and see how she is in a few hours or until morning when hopefully it will be empty.
She lets me pick her up which is unusual for her so she is ill but it’s the poo colour that is concerning me.