[Maccbean]

Just wondered if anyone could give any clue as to the problem with my hen.  I have taken her to the vets this morning but they are not specialists.  They have given Tylan as they think it might be a gut problem.

She was a bit off colour yesterday, but was eating and drinking.  This morning she looked quite big and was drinking water, when I picked her up her crop was full of water and she puked a huge amount, it just seemed to keep coming.

I've bought her back from the vets, she's not eating, but I'm watching her now and she's been drinking water for at least 10 minutes constant.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

[joyfull]

have you read this?

http://www.poultry.allotment-garden.org/Chicken_a/chicken-crop/sour-crop-chicken.php

[joyfull]

Your vet could be right though regarding a gut problem as one of my dogs drank excessively when she had pyometria (different animal I know - but excessive drinking was one of the signs) and if your chicken has an infection through an egg breaking etc then the A/B's will help. When did she last lay?

[Maccbean]

I did suggest to the vet that it could be an egg broken inside.  I have two legbars who look identical, only one lays and only very thin shelled eggs.  I've not had one for about 2-3 days so it might suggest that.

I'll try the sour crop thing with the yoghurt too.  I'm due to take her back to the vets on Monday so fingers crossed she'll improve. 

[joyfull]

try sitting her in a bath with warm water for half an hour or so (you may need to keep adding some hot water to keep the temperature up) and if she has an egg stuck or the remains of some shell it might help relax her enough to expel it. Then pat her dry with a towel and blow dry her (on a warm setting not hot) before putting her back outside.

[Maccbean]

Tried the bath.  She did relax, but nothing came out.  Her bottom area is quite red (not the vent, below that.

I emptied her crop, but she won't eat, so I've forced a syringe full down.  She's just drinking lots of water.  I don't want to withdraw the water, so I've added quite a bit of the natural yoghurt to the water in the hope that she'll drink it too.

I'd hoped the ABs might have perked her up a bit but she's just looking very depressed  .  I'll just have to hope she's a bit better tomorrow.

[hillfooter]

Rather than yogurt glucose might be better.  Try an electrolyte drink which you can make as follows.

Dissolve in 3 litres of water

5 ml of Salt substitute, (1 teaspoon of potassium chlorite)
7.5 ml (1 and a half teaspoons) of Bicarbarbonate of soda (baking soda)
15 ml (3 teaspoons) salt
20ml Glucose

Baytril a/b is very good at stimulating appetite. 

What do her droppings look like and what breed and how old is she?  Are there any other symptoms to go on or any history of illness?

[Maccbean]

Marge died today.   She had stayed in the nesting box this morning.  I brought her in to take look at her and she was shivering a bit.  Not wanting to stress her too much I put her in a blanket next to the Aga, where she just laid not moving.  After about 30 minutes she struggled, and I think she had a heart attack and died.  Quite, quite upsetting.

She had suffered from an impacted crop 14 months ago which I had cleared.  She'd not laid since, but was very healthy otherwise.  She was 2½.

[hillfooter]

Sorry to hear this.
HF

[bantam novice]

So sorry to hear about Marge, Maccbean.  You did everything you could and gave her great care.