Would a Hormone Injection Help?

[ClareScifi]

My hen who is about 3 and lays green eggs had eggish-looking stuff on her bottom when I let her out of the coop this morning. This afternoon I found her trying to lay an egg, but nothing was happening. I decided to give her a bath to remove the gunk off her behind. I couldn't feel an egg inside her. After her bath she went to her nesting box and kept trying to lay an egg. Nothing. I picked her up again to feel her abdomen. It seems rather warm. Then I set her down and shortly afterwards fluid came out of her behind-- clear and creamy with maybe a light yellow tinge to it. There were several spurts throughout the afternoon. No odor to it. One spurt was sticky like egg white. At one point on her nest her head drooped down and her eyes remained closed for quite some time. I was able to feed her 10 meal worms, but not even scrambled eggs appeal to her. Late this evening, I was able to shine a flashlight on a bowl of water and get her to take several sips. I am going to try to get her into the vet first thing in the morning. I had a hen who had similar symptoms he gave a hormone injection to, to stop her from laying eggs, and she is doing great, 2 months later. However, she didn't have the warm abdomen or stay on the nest the way this hen is doing. I'm worried this one may have an infection, due to the warmth to her abdomen, and I'm not sure a hormone injection would help, if there is an infection? Something about sterile versus septic egg yolk peritonitis? I don't know whether she'll make it through the night. I'm just wondering whether the hormone injection in combination with antibiotics (if there is an infection) could help her heal and enjoy a quality life. I don't care if she ever lays another egg. I just hate to say goodbye, if it can be prevented?

 

[ClareScifi]

P.S. Another hen I adopted at the same time as this hen died last March. She didn't lay any eggs from the time I adopted her, except for a soft-shelled egg I observed coming out of her bottom about a year before she died. I suspect she was an internal layer the whole time. One night I noticed she was facing the wall of the coop instead of facing out toward the middle of the coop and her tail was pumping rapidly up and down. I suspect she was trying to lay an egg but couldn't. The next morning I found her dead on her tummy with her head down into her chest. The other chickens were quite distraught over her death. I wondered whether the rooster had jumped atop her to mate and killed her, based on the position she was in. If she wasn't feeling good with an egg stuck inside her, I suppose mating could have done her in?

 

[ClareScifi]

The second hen mentioned above was also a green egg layer. The woman I adopted them from says she has not had good luck with that breed. They lay fine for about 2 years and then problems set in... I would have gotten her hormone injections had I realized she had ascites, which I now think she did. I think she would have really improved with the injections and lived longer.

 

[ClareScifi]

Update: The hen in question looked better early this morning. She ate a bit of scrambled egg and came out of the nesting box. She is currently sitting on a shelf out in the run. There is all kinds of green and white poop plastered to her hind end. Do you think I should take her into the vet today? I fear there will be more trouble when it's time to lay another egg.