Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Firstchic]

I know ya'll are all busy, but, I need my fears relieved. I took Skuzzybutt in and put her in the baby bath. Left her in there about 10 minutes. I stayed with her. I had my hand on her back and she fell asleep. She would open her eyes and then slowly close them again. I clipped all the feathers from around her vent, it looks normal. No drainage that I can determine. Below the vent, in the area I figure where an egg might be, it felt firm but not hard. Her eyes in my bathroom light look dark golden. I dried her best I could with the hair dryer, did not want to get it too hot an heaven forbid set her on fire. I hope this will help her. This chicken business is really taxing for an old lady.

 

[Celtic Chick]

I know ya'll are all busy, but, I need my fears relieved. I took Skuzzybutt in and put her in the baby bath. Left her in there about 10 minutes. I stayed with her. I had my hand on her back and she fell asleep. She would open her eyes and then slowly close them again. I clipped all the feathers from around her vent, it looks normal. No drainage that I can determine. Below the vent, in the area I figure where an egg might be, it felt firm but not hard. Her eyes in my bathroom light look dark golden. I dried her best I could with the hair dryer, did not want to get it too hot an heaven forbid set her on fire. I hope this will help her. This chicken business is really taxing for an old lady.

So what are your fears? That she is eggbound? If you have any vinyl or rubber gloves, put one on, lube it up with vaseline & feel around inside her vent. Do you feel an egg in there?

My production reds had the same issues before they died but that does NOT mean that your hen will die too. A lot of different chicken ailments have the same or similar symptoms. The body only has so many ways to show signs of sickness. If she is eating & drinking ok, I wouldn't worry too terribly much about it. Are you giving her vitamins & electrolytes? How about yogurt? Those 2 will help her fight off an illness if she has one.

Chickens do tend to relax when they are in a nice warm bath, just like people. Taking a nap is not out of the question, so don't let that worry you. I have had many chickens doze off while soaking.

If you have to take any of your pets to the vet anytime soon, take a poop sample from Scuzzybutt along. They will check it for parasites. It only takes a few minutes & is not expensive. Good luck with your girl.

 

[Firstchic]

So, if I feel an egg, what then, do I pull it out like a calf? I've done that in my day.

 

[Cindlady]

Hi All!

Yes, I believe so, not exactly sure how though.

Perhaps look on another thread. LOL.... I had to "go in" and move a foal head once.... once was enough.

I got to try to work on the coop and get the older "kids" out so the younger ones can have the bigger inside pen. They are outgrowing their big box!

Must Sleep..... Night All!

 

[Firstchic]

So, if I feel an egg, what then, do I pull it out like a calf? I've done that in my day. T

Thank you for all the good advice you give me. There are sooo many threads, I could read for a month and not find what I need. This morning, I opened the run and she will not even come out of the coop so I suspect something is up. Guess I will call my vet and see what she has to say. My son says she is knowledgeable in chickes....guess I can only ask. Going to store to get gloves, yogurt and electrolytes---wonder if Pedialite for babies would work?

 

[Firstchic]

Skuzzybutt gave up the ghost. Just went out to the coop and she has died. We are going to bury her or put her in a plastic bag and put her in the garbage can. Not knowing why she died worries me tho. Hope what ever it was is not catchy.

 

[irishrovr]

Skuzzybutt gave up the ghost. Just went out to the coop and she has died. We are going to bury her or put her in a plastic bag and put her in the garbage can. Not knowing why she died worries me tho. Hope what ever it was is not catchy.

So sorry!!

 

[wyoDreamer]

Sorry about your hen @Firstchic it sucks to have this happen and not know why she died. Hopefully it was something specific to her and not contagious to your flock.

Sorry to ask this, but can you do a necropsy and see if you can tell what killed her? I think you said she was about a year old?
If she was egg bound, then you should be able to find a series of eggs inside.
Maybe it was heart trouble or something else. There are some good pictures on BYC somewhere that show various necropsy pictures of problems.

 

[Firstchic]

Sorry about your hen @Firstchic it sucks to have this happen and not know why she died. Hopefully it was something specific to her and not contagious to your flock.

Sorry to ask this, but can you do a necropsy and see if you can tell what killed her? I think you said she was about a year old?
If she was egg bound, then you should be able to find a series of eggs inside.
Maybe it was heart trouble or something else. There are some good pictures on BYC somewhere that show various necropsy pictures of problems.

Well, gonna have to look up that word.....When I got her, April 24th or so, she was only one with a nasty butt. I washed her up, but the next day she was all nasty again. In the past week, this is what I saw.....she lay in the run alot but would go out with the others. She distanced herself from the flock and went picking on her own. Yesterday, she was laying in the pen and I noticed, she was jerking her head. I gave her another bath, clipped her feathers, vent was not red nor swollen to me, but, these are the first chicks I have had, so maybe just don't know what normal looks like. I have a black chick that had all her tail feathers pulled out by the other chicks before I got her,,,,her skin is sorta red but she seems fine. Back to Skuzzybutt, At 6 am I went out and she was sitting in the hen box but when I put my hand under her she got up and moved. She put her face in the corner of the coop and sat. I went back at 8 am and she was dead already. I think she had quit eating and drinking but I cannot be sure, as I do not watch them 24/7. I do know she was out of the run/ free ranging yesterday for a little while. Oh, wattle was pale last night and she was fluffy.

 

[Huntress78]

Quote: When you say 'she was jerking her head' do you mean side to side, like a quick little twitch?