[chasechicken]

Hi all,

Haven't been on here for a while - all has been going smoothly, until now......

I noticed one of the hens this morning (we have three) seems to be off colour.  Her crop is still quite hard so I'm guessing the problem is with digestion.  I can't say there is any odour from her mouth so I don't think it's 'sour crop'.

She seemed fine yesterday.  Just to run through her symptoms...

She's sitting with her feathers puffed up and her neck tucked in.  She keeps closing her eyes periodically.

She has pooped this morning and that was fine.

Can you recommend anything, and does it sound like blocked crop to you?

Many many thanks,

cc

[chasechicken]

I've just been looking around on here for similar cases, and this one (http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=46081.0) does describe the same lethargy and closing of eyes, and it turned out she was having trouble laying.  Maybe mine has the same issue - we certainly have had fewer eggs than normal over the past few days.

If she's egg bound can you recommend anything to speed up the process / reduce her 'suffering'?

[spider]

Some good eggbound advice here.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=51220.0


Spider

[chasechicken]

Thanks spider - yea, have had a look around and found some help on both egg bound hens and blocked crop.  My prob is trying to decide if it's one or the other.  The full crop first thing this morning suggests one thing, but lack of eggs and someone elses experience the other....

Guess it won't hurt to 'treat' both and hope for the best?

[chasechicken]

I've just been back to check on her and she has discharged some light yellow liquid - quite sticky - along with some clear fluid.  I suspect it's part of a soft egg although please correct me if I'm wrong.

Have booked a vets appt for 4.30pm so hoping she'll be ok until then, and we'll see what they can do.  In the mean time I'd be grateful for any tips on looking after her / helping.  I've tried a bath in warm water but it didn't offer any immediate help.

Thanks

[joyfull]

If it is a broken egg then yes a trip to the vets is needed as she could get an infection inside her. Get the vet to also check her crop at the same time.

[chasechicken]

Yes will do, thanks joyfull!  Until now I've had over 12 months of hassle free ex-bat keeping (apart from a very early case of pnuemonia) so can't complain really...

[chasechicken]

My girlfriend is at the vets at the moment - they're trying liquid parafin for the crop but have suggested we have her put down as she's suffering - which of course I don't want (the suffering I mean).

However, they've said that if she is egg bound there's nothing they can do?  I don't agree with that based on what I've seen on here already and also how many hens seem to recover from being egg bound?  Vets seem very quick at saying 'just put her down' when perhaps in fact a bit of effort on their part would save her?

Anyway, if you could let me know your thoughts I'd appreciate it.  I don't want her to be put down if there's a good chance we can get the egg out, if it is that.  I'm just thinking they don't know what they're doing......
?

[joyfull]

If she has had an egg break inside then ask the vets for Baytril or another antibiotic. If she has an impacted crop then liquid parrafin can help as can maggots but they can also operate. Unfortunately some people dont think of them as pets and just look at the cost of the care as opposed to getting another hen.

[lucylou]

fingers crossed chasechicken - let us know how she is when your girl friend gets back, lucyloux

[chasechicken]

Thanks - I'm going to head over there now too.  The first thing they said was "oh, she looks poorly - best have her put down" which I do think is a little rash.  If it's the right thing then find, but I think antibiotics and the liquid parafine (which she's now had and their waiting to see if it does anything) is worth a crack.  The dilema now is do I take her home tonight and risk her further suffering but a chance to pull through, or do I just give up on her now?

Also, do you have any experience with cocciodosis?  Just that the thick yellow discharge can be a symptom (although I still think that might have been egg)...

Things are never simple...

[joyfull]

often with cocci you get blood in their pooh, it is treated with coxoid.

[minniebantam]

Hi there.  One of my older chickens became egg bound, if you gently feel around the vent area you may feel the egg. I used sunflower oil plenty of it around the vent area and very gently if you can get a little into the vent it helps, don't be afraid to use plenty of oil. Quite often the egg then slides out, try gentle massage to help if the egg will not move as by this time often the bird has become quite stressed and may appear to make little effort to
lose the egg. I also give about 2-3 drops of rescue remedy to help her.
You could try to get her to take a small worm if it's a blocked crop as the worm will loosen the blockage as it burrows and eats. Hope you have a good outcome.

[chasechicken]

Hi everyone - thanks for all of the comments!

Sadly, she didn't make it - she deteriorated at the vets and seemed to be suffering a lot.  Her temperature shot up and she started lying on her side, so we all thought it was best to put her down.

It's sad because she's the only one we've named and was all of our favourite, but she was an ex-batt and spent over a year with us, so had a good innings.

Only concern is not knowing exactly what was wrong - she didn't show any signs of being poorly until yesterday (although they're good at hiding it aren't they!) and so I guess it could be any number of things.  Will keep an eye on the remaining two and hope they don't get whatever she had if it wasn't just being egg bound or having a blocked crop (both of which now seem a little less likely with her rapid deterioration).

Anyway, thanks again!

[joyfull]

so sorry chasechicken, unfortunatly ex batts have had such a stressfull life before being released that they can have many illnessess that can shorten their lives. Yes they do hide their illness often until it is too late for us to do anything about it.
On the plus side she had a whole year of seeing the sun and pecking the gound, being able to stretch herself and learning to be a proper chicken which without you two she wouldn't have done - she has left you with some lovely memories to cherish xxx