What is wrong?

[KatkyCampbell]

Hi all. I need help please. 1 year ago we aquired 3 older hens (all 3 layers at the time) from someone I know who has always raised chickens. The first one died about 2 months after coming here. We assumed it was due to stress or old age (not 100% sure how old they were). She kind of slowed down, seemed to lay around a lot (this was my first time with chickens so I was not too sure when to worry) and was not really active. The other two seemed ok so we didn't worry and figured it was just her time. In the mean time we have added 5 to the flock (we raised them from chicks) and everyone was doing great! About 6 months into it a second of the older birds was acting off. Like the other one, she slowed down, laid around a lot, she stopped laying eggs completely, and seemed to close her eyes a lot. Then we notices bright yellow watery poop in the roost where she sleeps. We tried to baby her with yogurt/cottage cheese and extra protien and she seemed to perk up. This went on for months..she would be great and then she would go back to this weird lethargic state. Each time we would baby her, and pay close attention to be sure she ate and drank etc. Then this February (almost 1 year after bringing her home) she passed away just like the other one.

Now, the last one of this group, she is showing the same signs and I have no idea what to do. Does yogurt/cottage cheese really do anything? Do I need to isolate her and give her electrolytes? Is there some other medicine I should try? It is in the beginning stages so I hope if I can figure out what it is then I can save her. So same symptoms, she stopped laying eggs, poops is runny yellow where she sleeps - nothing solid, laying around and not being active at all.

Looking for help
Thank you!

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Oh no! I’m so sorry! Some advice I have been given is that they like scrambled eggs and oats too. Yogurt I have also heard is good. I really hope she gets better!

Sorry that I’m not much of a help.

 

[Sierra G]

Search for the term eggbound on backyardchickens.com. It sounds like a possible explanation for the symptoms to me but I've never had it happen so I can't say for sure. Basically, if she's eggbound she has an egg stuck and it's affecting her health. There are instructions on the site for ways to help her get it out.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Have they laid eggs recently? If not, then it very well may be a reproductive issue.

 

[KatkyCampbell]

Oh no! I’m so sorry! Some advice I have been given is that they like scrambled eggs and oats too. Yogurt I have also heard is good. I really hope she gets better!

Sorry that I’m not much of a help.

I have given her eggs with egg shells too she likes that! But it doesn't seem to help

 

[KatkyCampbell]

Search for the term eggbound on backyardchickens.com. It sounds like a possible explanation for the symptoms to me but I've never had it happen so I can't say for sure. Basically, if she's eggbound she has an egg stuck and it's affecting her health. There are instructions on the site for ways to help her get it out.

I will look into this! She was laying regularly and then it has been about 2 weeks, no egg and then yesterday she laid an egg? So I don't know...ugh

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Then it doesn’t sound like she’s egg bound if she laid yesterday (well, the day before yesterday) .... but I could be wrong. How is she doing today?

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

If being egg bound was the problem and they don't pass the egg within 48 hours, . They don't survive. So it doesn't sound to me like they were egg bound. Im so sorry you are experiencing this. Do you know how old they were/are? I wonder if it is just there time.

 

[KatkyCampbell]

Update on her! So I decided to bring her in tonight and give her a bath (she had dried poop on her butt!) and give her a good once over. As I was bathing her I noticed her crop was soft and squishy like a water balloon. As I cleaned her up I noticed that her belly (that big chunk under her butt) was also puffy and squishy. As I was near her head I noticed a horrible smell! It was still there after I had finished cleaning her up. We blow dried her and she is all fluffy and warm. But she is not herself and moving very slow and sitting and resting a lot. Maybe yeast infection? Maybe cancer? Anyone here have any experience with this?

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Maybe a crop issue? Sour crop or impacted? I don’t know a lot about crop issues, just throwing out ideas.