Poorly chicken

[hippy chick]

Maureen has been off it yesterday and today. She got in to a bit of a squabble with one of the new girls on Sunday night. And on Monday she didn't lay, she is as regular as clockwork normally. She keeps going to the nest-box and coming out an hour later without producing an egg.

I have given her a bit of a check up and she looks ok. I think I can feel an egg in her abdomen but I'm no expert so am not sure. I have given her some liquid paraffin, put limestone powder in her food with cod-liver oil. She has had a hot bath but still hasn't parted with it. What do i do next?

 

Thanks Jilly

Edited July 20, 2010 by Guest

[Forge Cottage]

It could also be both, due to her reproductive timing being slightly out. This would be very uncomfortable for her because the queued egg would be pressing on the softee, or vice versa. Our Gertie was withdrawn when we got home one evening last week and laid a softee in my arms (unfortunately I couldn't catch it!), then a good egg overnight. I thought I was seeing things! If an egg stays cooking longer than normal, it is often darker in colour.

 

If you gently squeeze the sides of her abdomen between thumb and forefinger, you should be able to feel whether an egg is coming. Some chickens carry their egg low down, some further up and it is hard to feel. It might also feel small because it is deep inside, but be laid larger than you expect. I am not expert enough to feel a softee!

 

I would first try the hairdryer trick on and off for 20 minutes or so and have an old towel handy, or at least keep her warm in a box indoors overnight.

 

Best of luck...

[hippy chick]

I took Maureen to the vet today. I couldn't get in to see my usual vet so had to make do with a different one, not very chickenly though. He said he isn't sure whether she has a stuck egg or peritonitis. He has given her a oxytocin injection and baytril. I pointed out to him that her crop is squishy and a bit big and mentioned that i thought she might have sour crop also, but he says its her crop muscle that not working so now I'm even more worried.

He said to take her home and give her the antibiotics and see if it helps over the weekend.

She seemed almost back to normal yesterday. But now she is just stood about and is not eating or drinking.

I was a bit annoyed at the fact that he didn't weigh her to work out the correct dosage of oxy or baytril. My usual vet always works out the dose according to their weight.

I hope that the poor little mite pulls through she is such a character and i will feel totally awful if this finishes her off. If I hadn't have got the new girls then this wouldn't be happening.

[hippy chick]

Well I had to take her back to the vets again this morning. She still hasn't laid an egg so I'm beginning to wonder if its a lash on the way. Saw the chuck vet. He has given her more oxytocin and started her on Flagyl as well as the Baytril. Her crop is very squishy now but when I tip her up nothing comes out so that must be a good sign. This vet said that her crop is definitely still working but it is probably sour. Trouble is if her crop is sour will the Baytril still get through?

He said that when a chicken gets ill it generally will get ill all over so goodness knows what next.

I really am stressed about the whole thing. What with Maureen being this ill and now Glenys has taken a turn for the worse.

I dread letting them out in the morning

[Plum]

Sour crop is an infection rather than a blockage though that can occur so I think the baytril will get through

[hippy chick]

Thanks I hope it does work. I hate it when the poor chooks are ill. Its worse than my kids being little again

I wish the vets around here were a bit better though. Its cost me nearly £70 yesterday and today. The thing is though if i could have seen the chicken vet yesterday it would have saved me shelling out for 2 consultations in less than 24 hours.

[hippy chick]

Maureen is still the same today. She is occasionally drinking but still refuses to eat. The oxytocin still hasn't worked so i guess if there was an egg in there it would have been out by now.

Her crop is still big and squishy. At least i'm managing to get the Baytril and Flagyl down her.

I have been and got some Daktarin oral gel this morning and have given her that too.

So Its just a case of wait and see now.

Fingers crossed

[Hens@HalfMoonLane]

The Baytril will still get through but not as much according to my chicken vet when I had a similar problem. I small amount of Daktarin gel has helped in the past for me. The only times my hens have had sour crop is when they have had an egg stuck.

 

Hope this helps

[hippy chick]

Well she does seem to be a little better today. She has eaten some oats mixed with grated apple, and a little bit of cantaloupe melon. Her crop is still large and squishy but she hasn't been sick.

The vet said that he would like me to take her in, so that he can put a tube into her crop and completely empty it. He said that he can then send the gloop off for tests (more expense!)

Has anyone had any experience of having this done?

I am still concerned about the fact that nothing seems to be coming out of the other end, I hope that she is'nt going the same way as Glenys did with her tumours

[Tutti Frutti]

Oh no, just wanted to offer some moral support. Fingers crossed for you both (((HUGS)))

[hippy chick]

Today really is make or break for Maureen. As i lifted her out of her NB this morning her throat started to gurgle. I have taken her to the vet and he has emptied her crop. There was a lot of blood in the fluid that came out . He said it looks as if she has ulcers He has done an ultrasound on her abdomen and said there are no eggs, but lots of poo that hasn't been able to get out.

He is keeping her in to keep washing her crop out and put some ulcer healing treatment inside.

I don't think she stands a chance. maybe it would have been kinder to have her PTS

[hippy chick]

Today Has been truly awful. I got a phonecall from the vet this afternoon asking for permission to put Maureen to sleep.

He said he had emptied her crop and flushed it out with saline 4 times throughout the day. He put ulcer healing meds into her crop, but it didn't work. Each time it was emptied it filled back up again with blood. He said after it was first emptied she perked up and ate but the food wasn't going down into her gizzard.

He said that it was probably peritonitis of the gut or bowel which had developed through the soured crop.

I really feel absolutely devastated. This is the most dreadful week ever, what with Glenys dying yesterday and now my poor little Maureen. I really wish I had never started with chickens. Poor little Gwen must be wondering whats happened, she is the only one left out of her flock thats four of them gone in a couple of months.

What on earth am i doing wrong I have been in and out of the vets all week, I know that they are sickly creatures when we get them but its been 10 months

Maureen was my sons favourite, he is out with his friends and he doesn't even know whats happened yet.

[Plum]

And they have had a fabulous 10 months with you until things caught up with them. Never feel you have done anything wrong, they had all the traumas of a cage before you got them. well done you gave them 10 months of joy.

 

Hugs for you xx