Chicken bald back

[emmalou]

Primrose one of our exbatts was not in with the other girls at bed time last night and was standing under the shelter at the end of the chicken run. When I went to pick her up she laid a soft shell or more of the inner of an egg. This morning she is quiet and has not had brekkie yet. She is walking around but not eating and looks a bit vacant. What can I do and should I bring her in or see how she goes. Being Sunday the vets is out of hours only. She is the one that looks the less well conditioned of the two week adopted back in November but is doing well. She lays normally and this is the first soft shell I have seen from her.

PS...I have just checked on her. Her crop seems a little full this morning. Not too bad but had a feel and it does feel a little squishy but am no expert. I have massaged it for a few mins and feels bette. She is still a bit vacant but had a drink when I left. What should I do next? She also doesn't feel egg bound and has a little root around and seems clean enough inside. As I said she laid a softie last night but maybe it is a crop thing?

[Grandmashazzie]

Hi Emmalou,didn't want to read and run. I have ex batts and very often they succumb to egg peritonitis. If her abdomen feels fine hopefully now she has laid softie she will perk up. As you say vets are shut and she doesn't appear to be in pain.With her crop still full in morning do yo think she has sour crop? Perhaps you should treat her for it.

[emmalou]

Don't think it is sour crop, her breath smells OK. I have massaged her crop and it seems better now. she laid a softie last night so think she feels off colour because of that. She has eaten some boiled egg with olive oil to help just in case her crop is a little sluggish. I am keeping her in for a couple of hours so I can see what she eats. She doesn't seem to be egg bound.

[gavclojak]

Laying a softie usually takes a lot of effort and is hard work for them but she should be over that by now. Your doing what is right, just keep an eye on her and see how she goes.

To be honest there isn't much more you can do.

[emmalou]

I have tried massaging her crop and she has had some olive oil. I tried massaging and tipping her up a little to see if she released anything nasty but nothing. Her crop feels like a squidgy bean bag which I think is normal. She is just standing and not doing a lot. I tried letting her out free range and pecked a bit of grass but is just standing around so brought her back in again.

[Cat tails]

If you feel her underside, does it feel hot and squishy? Like a balloon full of water? One of my chickens had egg problems and had a very swollen belly. Makes them feel very uncomfortable and not willing to move around.

[emmalou]

No not at all I would say. She is not egg bound as I have had a feel Her crop just feels squidgy like a bean bag. I could feel it was soft and squidgy with like small beans in and not huge for this time of day but this morning possibly wasn't as empty as it could of been but not very abnormal. She has no obvious distentions or puffiness in her tummy. She is not really huddled up, she is standing most of the time but does not wander far and just looks a bit vacant!!! When I did let her out briefly she flew up the garden when she thought there may be some treats on offer, then she remained stationary for a while.....quite strange!

[mullethunter]

Sounds odd. Peritonitis isn't the same as being egg bound but as others have said it sounds like you're doing the right things. I'd keep an eye on how her abdomen feels but if she's still not right during the week take her to the vet.

[emmalou]

She is in laying atm so will see what materialises.

PS, nothing appararantely. Cannot see her eating but drinking.

[gavclojak]

Try her with a little bit of tuna or cat food, see if that kickstarts her appetite

[emmalou]

She has been grazing outside but not much at all and looks at the grass rather than eating it. She does run for mealworms though! She is indoors now for the night and will see the vet tomorrow as we are close to a holiday. She has had some grapes and scrambled egg but not masses. Will keep trying. Would help if I know for sure if it was a crop problem.

[Hippie Chick]

How is she getting on? I hope she's feeling better x

[emmalou]

Thank you for asking Hippiechick . I needed to take her to the vet in the end. She hadn't perked up by day 2 and due an impending holiday thought it prudent. The vet could not find anything wrong with her and gave her a thorough check up. Checked poop, for mites, respiration, eyes, ears vent etc. She thinks she either may not be getting enough calcium (hence the softie) or she is stressed. I kept her indoors for a few hours yesterday morning after we got back and she laid a soft shell (the yolk was the day before). As soon as she laid that she perked up straight away and joined the others in the garden. I need to get her an antibiotic today from the vet just in case she has or has had an infection. She will also give me a calcium supplement. I did suggest antibiotics as we were going away and leaving them with a neighbour. I am surprised the vet did not feel the egg if she laid it as soon as we got home?? She seems happy now and eating normally. Bless her she is the sweetest little girl and since being indoors with us, both exbatts are keen to come in each day now. They are both so affectionate and Primrose stays with me more now. She does tend to graze alone but is not bullied, just likes her own company (and adult company) I think. Why are they so friendly after what they have had to endure?

[gavclojak]

That's what I have found with all my ex commercials girls. They are so sweet!!

Sounds like she is on the right track so fingers crossed for her

[The Dogmother]

It's just one of those non-specific things that you have to wait and see how it pans out. When did you last worm them, and what with?

[emmalou]

Well they have Vermx 3 days a month but had flubenvet 2 weeks ago now so all good. I will get the antibiotics today just in case it is an infection.

[Grandmashazzie]

Oh that's great news glad she's on the mend. I agree re ex batts,given their dreadful start they are so sweet.

[emmalou]

Spoke too soon. I have collected Biaprim and a calcium supplement from the vet today. I noticed though that since late morning she seems a little slow again. She is eating Ok but doesn't seem quite herself. She is a little vacant anyway and quite introvert so she is hard to understand anyway. It is hard understanding how they feel sometimes. I am not sure how quickly antibiotics kick in. I cannot feel any eggs today but she did go in this Am to lay but not sure she did.

[Hippie Chick]

I'm sorry she's still a bit off, I really hope she's perked up a bit with the antibiotics now.

 

Fingers crossed for her x

[emmalou]

Well I think they are working, thanks for asking. We are two days from a holiday so I am getting a bit stressed. she has not laid an egg for two days but maybe a softie during Friday night. We were two eggs down so could of been another hen. She has had two days of improvement now. Yesterday she was normal but don't like to speak too soon. I have found a better vet and she has implants in stock should she suddenly go down hill before wr go. Fingers crossed!

[The Dogmother]

The antibiotics should start to show an effect after about 36 hours, but if she is generally having trouble and laying soft shelled eggs, the an implant will only have a limited effèct; personally, I wouldn't bother.

[emmalou]

Yes, for the last 2 nights there has been a soft shell in the morning and last night a normal egg too. It is hard to tell who has laid what but think she must of laid one or the other. i think maybe the hard egg because of where it was in the hen house this morning. Also when she laid one the other day it was a pale colour and this one was the same so think it must be her egg and another hen has laid a softie!! complicted eh? As We are away on Monday I have just dropped the vet an email just to check.