Chicken not feeling well. Poop picture included.

[mschickiemama]

My chicken is quiet today and just resting and not making noise. Seems under the weather. Last night she slept in the nesting box. Here are pictures of her poop this morning.


Wondering if it's normal or signifies something.
In the past I had chickens start getting sticky poop that looked like that & they eventually died.
Wondering what to do. I want her to feel better and want to be proactive about it.

 

[Gresh]

From the yellowish tint in part of her poop, her general apathy, and the fact that she slept in a nesting box, I would suggest that she is egg-bound, or that she has a broken egg inside of her. Either one of these things could be life-threatening, and I have treated two or three of my hens that were afflicted by this, so I think I can be of some help.

First, look at her vent to see if there is anything sticking out. If there is reddish tissue sticking out, this is probably her oviduct and you do NOT want to try to remove it. Instead, gently push the tissue back into her vent, and gently squirt cold water into her vent (the cold water shocks the muscles and encourages them to contract and keep the oviduct inside her body). You may have to do this a few times for a few days before her muscles actually start keeping the oviduct contracted.

If there is no reddish tissue, check to see if there is anything whitish, yellowish, or brownish hanging out of the vent. If it is somewhat rubbery, this is probably softened egg shell resulting, most likely, from malformations of the egg and/or broken shell. Gently and slowly pull this tissue out (as much as you can). Most of it (if not all) should come out with some gentle pulling, but if only a part of it will come out and the rest is stuck, cut the removed part away from the stubborn part.

Next, make sure your chicken has a soft-foods diet, like yogurt and scrambled eggs. Eggbound hens often cannot pass feces very well, and as the issue progresses it becomes impossible for them to pass feces and they eventually die from the toxins accumulated in their bodies. Soft foods will be easier for the hen to pass. Also make sure she has plenty of clean, cool water with water-soluble vitamins in it.

Now you will want to give your hen a bath. It sounds silly, but it really does help. Fill your tub, sink, or dishpan with warm (or even very warm) water up to a little above the hen's crop-height. Gently place your hen in the water until her abdomen and vent are completely submerged. If she freaks out, you will have to hold her down, but in my experience, hens placed into the water slowly and gently will actually like it and will need little to no restraint. Begin massaging her abdomen, from the front to the back near the vent, for several minutes. (Often, this encourages her to poop, so be prepared for a mess in the water.) After about ten minutes of soaking and massaging, remove her from the water, gently dry her, and separate her from the rest of the flock. Often it is advisable to keep her indoors in the presence of extra heat (but not so much that she begins to pant). Continue her soft-foods diet and give her one or two baths a day.

If after this she shows no improvement, I would take her to a vet. A vet does not have to be an avian vet to treat chickens. My local animal hospital treats all sorts of animals, from exotic pets to farm animals. I would call around and ask local vets if they can treat chickens. Not all vets will, of course, but some of them may surprise you.

I hope this has been helpful. Be sure to look around this part of BYC for other tips on egg-bound hens. Typing in "egg-bound" in the search bar should bring up some really helpful tips from past flock owners who have dealt with this issue.

God bless,
~Gresh~

 

[mschickiemama]

Thanks for all the details! She did lay a weird mutant egg thing on the ground yesterday. Tube shaped, hard, fleshy with no shell & there was some yolk on her foot. I gave her a bath like you said, and it was relaxing for her, but she doesn't seem eggbound. Nothing's hanging out of her & I don't feel any lumps or anything. But I also haven't felt inside her cloaca which I guess I'm supposed to do.
I'm letting her dry off on my bed. But then she pooped on the bed. Here are pics. Viewer discretion advised...


She refused food and water including scrambled eggs.

Have called a couple vets so far. One did say they treat chickens but seemed pricey. $70+ for exam and $53+ for a fecal sample. And they don't reveal much info on phone. How do I know if they really know about chickens. hm

 

[Calichicken2015]

Thanks for all the details! She did lay a weird mutant egg thing on the ground yesterday. Tube shaped, hard, fleshy with no shell & there was some yolk on her foot. I gave her a bath like you said, and it was relaxing for her, but she doesn't seem eggbound. Nothing's hanging out of her & I don't feel any lumps or anything. But I also haven't felt inside her cloaca which I guess I'm supposed to do.
I'm letting her dry off on my bed. But then she pooped on the bed. Here are pics. Viewer discretion advised...


She refused food and water including scrambled eggs.

Have called a couple vets so far. One did say they treat chickens but seemed pricey. $70+ for exam and $53+ for a fecal sample. And they don't reveal much info on phone. How do I know if they really know about chickens. hm

That is a bit pricey! Mine is $40 for an exam...never had any fecal sampling done...where are you located? You can always check online reviews about the vet? Mine also treats other farm animals which may be an indicator of knowledge, but no guarantee. Best way is to find a recommendation....I asked on my local state thread and got some info. Hope your girl feels better soon...so hard being a chicken momma to a sick hen

 

[Bright eike]

Please my roosters are defeacating watery greenish stool with mucus substance coming out from there mouth. They can neither stand nor move. And some are dying. I have lost over 20 grown up roosters. What can i do?.

 

[mschickiemama]

I'm in Southern California. I guess you are in Cali too! What's the local state thread?

 

[mschickiemama]

My hen is a little more perky today. Eating and drinking just a little bit. But still under the weather. Her poop is a little different.

I have noticed she also has some lice crawling in her feathers. eek Could lice be related to this? Might as well treat them.

 

[Calichicken2015]

My hen is a little more perky today. Eating and drinking just a little bit. But still under the weather. Her poop is a little different.

I have noticed she also has some lice crawling in her feathers. eek Could lice be related to this? Might as well treat them.

YES! I would treat her ASAP!!!! Parasites are very dangerous! I am up in the San Bernardino mountains...but came from Orange county. PM me if I am in your area I will send you 2 vets I know treat chickens, as well as some others I have received from people recommending on the form. Come on over to the California-Southern thread!

 

[mschickiemama]

Aww I'm in San Diego area. Cool didn't know there's a thread for Southern Cali. Will go check it out. I would like to find a good chicken vet.

What's the best thing to treat lice? Was going to get either diatomaceous earth or some type of poultry dust. I dusted my other hen with DE and lice appear to be gone but ran out of DE. And I guess DE can be bad for the respiratory system according to some people.

Should I worm her too? Don't really have worming experience but did order Valbazen the other day.

 

[Calichicken2015]

Aww I'm in San Diego area. Cool didn't know there's a thread for Southern Cali. Will go check it out. I would like to find a good chicken vet.

What's the best thing to treat lice? Was going to get either diatomaceous earth or some type of poultry dust. I dusted my other hen with DE and lice appear to be gone but ran out of DE. And I guess DE can be bad for the respiratory system according to some people.

Should I worm her too? Don't really have worming experience but did order Valbazen the other day.

I have used the poultry dust and it worked well. If you ask on the socal thread about a vet in san diego area....people should be able to help. It is really helpful to have one before you need it rather than trying to find one when you are stressed out with a sick chicken! There are a lot of members in that area

If you have never wormed them, it wouldn't hurt. People recommend doing it periodically...I do my girl once a year. How is your girl feeling today?