Young silkie possibly egg bound and not looking good.

[Soccerklan]

Please any help is really appreciated. I have a 4 1/2 month bantam silkie that I think may be egg bound. (I know she's young but 2 others in my flock, not silkies, have just started laying and they are the same age.) My silkie feels very bloated and is barely walking around at all. We have moved her into the house, so she is warm and she was eating and drinking mostly normal until this morning. We've been feeding her scrambled eggs, with a crushed tums or egg shell mixed in, but she really doesn't like the tums. Her poop is very liquidy but fairly regular. We have given her 2 warm bathes in 2 days and tried oiling her vent but we aren't seeing any improvements. Today she is looking extra lethargic and is eating less and I'm getting very worried. Seeing as how it's Sunday, there is nowhere we can go for vet help and I'm worried she won't make it till tomorrow.

 

[Eggcessive]

She may be egg bound, but I would also be suspicious of having coccidiosis, especially since she is young. Treatment is Corid (amprollium, Ampromed) in the water for 5 days. Dosage is 2 tsp of liquid Corid, or 1.5 tsp of powder Corid in 1 gallon of water for 5-7 days. She has to drink normally, or you will need to give it to her. Give her a couple of drops of the undiluted Corid when you first start it to jumpstart her treatment. Don't worry about her eating so much, as drinking right now. Corid is found in the cattle medicines of your feed store, and if you can't find that get Sulfadimethoxine or Sulmet. Now for possible egg binding, check inside her vent with a lubricated finger about an inch to feel for a stuck egg. Human calcium tablets can be dissolved in a small warm water--give her 1/4 tablet daily. Dehydration or too large an egg can also be causes, besides a calcium deficiency.

To make undiluted liquid Corid from the powder, add 1.5 tsp of the powder to 2 teaspoonful (10 ml) of water.

 

[Beth77]

My girl, Winnie died from being egg bound today, it's horrible to see them like that. Like you, we couldn't get to the vets. You're doing the right thing bringing her inside, try feeding her a little olive oil and massaging the swollen area with olive oil.

Keep her inside and make sure she is kept warm and comfortable before you go to bed, that's all you can really do.

I know what you're going through, I hope she makes a full recovery.

 

[Soccerklan]

If I give her the Corid and it's not coccidiosis, will it hurt her? We are going to try checking her vent right now and see if we feel anything. I put her back in a warm bath with epsom salt and noticed that she feels really thin even though she is eating.

 

[Soccerklan]

Beth77 I'm so sorry for your loss. It's so stressful being a new chicken person, I love my babies so much but feel like I don't know how to help them best.

 

[Beth77]

Thank you and I know exactly what you mean. It's hard but at the same time, also rewarding. How's your girl doing?

 

[Soccerklan]

About the same. My husband donned a rubber glove, lubed up and checked her but didn't feel anything. So now we are looking for an open feed store to buy the stuff that Eggcessive suggested. I love my girlie so much, I really hope that this is the answer!

 

[Beth77]

Oh fingers crossed! That's great you're both making such an effort for her. Keep me posted, I really hope she pulls through.

 

[Eggcessive]

Corid (amprollium) is not harmful to chickens. It is the same ingredient in medicated chick feed, only in a higher concentration. It acts as a thiamine inhibitor, and is not an antibiotic. It won't hurt the other chickens, and I would treat them at the same time. There is no egg withdrawal time with Corid either.

 

[Soccerklan]

We were too late, she passed away a few minutes ago. We are treating the rest of the flock and hoping that they aren't sick too. I wish I knew what caused her to be sick, she was acting fine up until Friday night. I'll watch the others more closely from now on.