Yabadabadoo
Songster
Hi all. I appreciate this group and how helpful everyone is. I love my flock, and without this community I would be at a loss when one of my birds is sick.
I have a two year old easter egger named Madonna. She lays normally, but flock is just starting to come back online after fall molt and winter (laying dropped off in early October; we started lights midJanuary, increasing “day” by half an hour every 5-6 days. I am not sure which eggers lays which egg, but I know all had started laying as of about a week ago.
Yesterday late afternoon we saw Madonna standing hunched under one of the structures in our yard. She is shy and low on pecking order but it was apparent to me that she was sick. Low energy, abdomen squishy and soft, crop only about half where it would typically be at that time, low interest in food. She has never been sick before.
I got her to eat a little (like two grapes and one bite of wet cat food). I did an exam (glove/ky) and did not feel an eggshell (QUESTION: I have done pelvic exams on humans but not chickens…how far can/should I safely (gently) insert my finger in a normal sized hen?).
I have another hen with actual waterbelly (we drained her 2-3 times over summer but zero issues this winter). So have amoxicillin on had (fishmox) and gave her ~200 mg last night (in coconut oil) and again around 1030 this morning. I secured hen in quiet dark crate inside overnight. (I read 57 mg per lb x2 per day…is this dose right? So ~200 mg two times a day?)
This morning she had passed yellow thick (yolky?) fluids with some poop (see pictures). I hand fed her some egg yolk, nutridench, water and a little wet food this morning (manually or with a paintbrush…she doesn't want to eat). She is just sitting like a circle. She stood up when I opened her cage, but sat back down after a minute or two. She does not feel hot to the touch.
I will pick up calcium citrate w D3 and will add that that plus an epsom salt bath later today (once I can get to the store).
She is pretty listless and wants to sit. She is having constant pulsating contractions since last night, so I believe her body is trying to expel what I think is a broken or shell-less egg. I read that you can try massaging hens’ abdomens to help them pass. Any further guidance on that point? (I dont want to make it worse…)
I added Wyorp Rocks response to another similar post below that is very on point and basically what I am doing. I have read several threads but three more speicifc questions. Do you think my diagnosis is accurate? How much should I push food/water…leave her be or she needs x volume of nutrients for that to not become its own problem? And is there anything else I can pr should be doing?
Thank you in advance. Very much appreciated.
I have a two year old easter egger named Madonna. She lays normally, but flock is just starting to come back online after fall molt and winter (laying dropped off in early October; we started lights midJanuary, increasing “day” by half an hour every 5-6 days. I am not sure which eggers lays which egg, but I know all had started laying as of about a week ago.
Yesterday late afternoon we saw Madonna standing hunched under one of the structures in our yard. She is shy and low on pecking order but it was apparent to me that she was sick. Low energy, abdomen squishy and soft, crop only about half where it would typically be at that time, low interest in food. She has never been sick before.
I got her to eat a little (like two grapes and one bite of wet cat food). I did an exam (glove/ky) and did not feel an eggshell (QUESTION: I have done pelvic exams on humans but not chickens…how far can/should I safely (gently) insert my finger in a normal sized hen?).
I have another hen with actual waterbelly (we drained her 2-3 times over summer but zero issues this winter). So have amoxicillin on had (fishmox) and gave her ~200 mg last night (in coconut oil) and again around 1030 this morning. I secured hen in quiet dark crate inside overnight. (I read 57 mg per lb x2 per day…is this dose right? So ~200 mg two times a day?)
This morning she had passed yellow thick (yolky?) fluids with some poop (see pictures). I hand fed her some egg yolk, nutridench, water and a little wet food this morning (manually or with a paintbrush…she doesn't want to eat). She is just sitting like a circle. She stood up when I opened her cage, but sat back down after a minute or two. She does not feel hot to the touch.
I will pick up calcium citrate w D3 and will add that that plus an epsom salt bath later today (once I can get to the store).
She is pretty listless and wants to sit. She is having constant pulsating contractions since last night, so I believe her body is trying to expel what I think is a broken or shell-less egg. I read that you can try massaging hens’ abdomens to help them pass. Any further guidance on that point? (I dont want to make it worse…)
I added Wyorp Rocks response to another similar post below that is very on point and basically what I am doing. I have read several threads but three more speicifc questions. Do you think my diagnosis is accurate? How much should I push food/water…leave her be or she needs x volume of nutrients for that to not become its own problem? And is there anything else I can pr should be doing?
Thank you in advance. Very much appreciated.
