[Ribbit]

I've been searching the web for ages now, but I still don't know whats wrong with my chicken.

She is a light sussex, we have been told that because she is traditional and won't lay throughout winter and such but since late October she hasn't laid a single egg. We got the chooks in May last year at POL. At first she laid normal eggs, then she laid about five double yolkers then laid normal eggs then stopped. the poo was as if an organ had fallen out. it was pinky red and slightly jelly-ish. She always hold her tail down and she is a bit fatter than the other two. It's worrying me, She is not as lively as she used to be (could be pure laziness) I have just finished worming them with Verm-x. She has laid two very tiny eggs since Christmas. Does anyone have an idea what is wrong? I may be able to upload an image of the dropping. 

[joyfull]

welcome Ribbit, sorry your first posting is with a problem. Have you had a look at our pooh pages just to see if yours matches any on there? Although it could have been a soft egg or even a lash.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

Please also take a couple of minutes to visit our welcome forum and tell everybody a little bit about yourself 

[Ribbit]

Thank you. I looked on the chart before but the poo doesn't look like any of those pictures! Nowhere near in fact, she did it this morning and she never really looks well. She has never done one like this before. My other two Olive and May are always perky and alert. Bridget (the light sussex) is a bit slow to catch on and isn't so alert. Before she was hard to catch (flapping and scratching me) now she hardly puts up a fight. There is a significant weight difference between her and May (though May is fairly small). And she feels slightly watery between her legs. I think it could be egg peronitis but not everything matches up. I thought it would be better to get a few more opinions first.

[Ribbit]

''Hi everyone, I hope someone can offer some advice, one of my Cuckoo Marans has laid a 'lash' I thought they did this when they were at the end of thier laying life, she is still young and only been laying for a few months.  She hasn't laid for a few weeks but when she was laying the eggs were nearly always double yolks. She has also got a mucky bum and her poo is very runny does this have any significance and will she lay again? She has been wormed recently.''<-

This is what I founf on the internet this sounds exactly like our chicken. She has poo stuck around her vent, and alot of her eggs were double yolkers. Apart from the droppings. :O

[hillfooter]

Your last two posts came before I posted the below but I don't think it changes things much.  I think you need an experienced chicken keeper or a vet to examine her as it sounds a very likely egg bound problem.  Does your chicken have a mucky bum and can you feel any an egg on it's way.  They are usually noticable as hard lumps towards the top if you feel inside her vent (use a lubricant such as KY or vaseline / liquid parafin).

Hi Ribbit.  I think you are right to be concerned I don't like the sound of your L/S.  It could well be she's egg bound which can be a very serious condition if an infection sets in which can lead to peritonitis.   Does her rear end and abdomen feel hot and bloated, does she walk and stand in an upright pengiuin posture?  If so it could indicate this condition and a speedy visit to the vet and an antibiotic injection is essential.  This is a case of needing an expert to examine her and no one can diagnose the problem remotely I'm affraid.

How long has this situation been going on and what is the timescale of the symptoms you describe?  Such information will be useful to your vet in estimating how far advanced the problem maybe.

When you say an "organ has fallen out" do you mean that there's a prolapse from her vent.  This is where a part of the oviduct becomes inverted and protrudes through her vent and looks like a shiny red baloon about the size of a cherry to a plum protruding from her vent.  If so using KY gel as a lubricant replace it with your fingure (sort of hooking it upwards insde her, and hope it stays in place.  Isolate her from the others to prevent vent pecking and preferably seek help from a more experienced keeper or your vet.

Best of luck,
HF

[Ribbit]

Thank you. It's not a prolapyse. It just looks like an organ, I mean the colour of it. I've just found out she has done it twice before but only small ones. I've just been down to check on them, she seem s more alert now. Do you think it could of been hurting her before and causing pain? She foraging around with the others, normally she just sits. the 'thing' is the size of a small plum and looks abit like it has cappillaries running through it from what I can remember.

[joyfull]

I think the 'organ' could have been a lash, but have a feel of her abdomen like Hillfooter said and also get her to a vet. Egg peritonitis is very serious and treatment is needed sooner rather than later.

[Ribbit]

She doesn't seem to waddle like there is an egg build up. It does sound more like a lash. thank you for your help and advice. my neighbour keeps chickens I will get him to have a look at her. Fingers crossed it's not serious. Unfortunatly vets which have avian experience aren't very near to us at all. We went to our nearest one before and asked if their vets do chickens but they don't seem to have much experience of birds. I think my best bet is our neighbour. Again thank you for all your help it is much appreciated

[hillfooter]

See http://www.avianweb.com/eggyolkperitonitis.html and http://www.avianweb.com/eggbinding.html  for info on possible conditions.
If she now looks brighter that's good but keep an eye on her and try to find a vet if there's any sign of deterioration.  It could well be a lash given her laying history.
HF

[Ribbit]

Thanks guys! I gave her a bath thanks to HF's page links advice. She was relaxed enough to do a poo in there! She was very relaxed apart from when I was moving her about and enjoyed the hot air (from the hairdryer) ruffling through her feathers. I'm waiting to see if egg build up was the problem or if it was something else.

[joyfull]

hopefully she will be ok Ribbit 

As per one of my previous messages why not take a wander over to our welcome to the forum section and tell us all a little bit about yourself and your birds plus anything else you may wish to tell us - other pets, any gardening likes/dislikes, where abouts and in which country you are in etc 
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=12.0

[Aunt Sally]

If it was a lash then it is serious and she will probably never lay again and by the sound of her she needs to see a vet as a priority.

[Ribbit]

I've just found a normal looking poo with a like jellyfied lump of blood on it. I checked all of the chooks bottoms to see if there was any trace of blood on them, i found some blood on Bridget the ill one, is this normal or is there a chance of coccidiosis?