Hen not laying, eating, and is pooping water.

[Ryguy3684]

One of my 1.5 year old Buff Orpington hens is sick, and I'm stumped. She came back from her molt just fine, started laying for about two weeks. She has since stopped laying. She's only eating if I bring her inside, she'll eat some, not much, from my hand. She's not egg bound, unless it's so far up I can't feel it. She's being a little lethargic/anti-social. Tonight, while inside, she pooped twice. It was a lot of clear water, with a little bit of solid in it. Her comb/wattles/face are still bright red. I started her on Corid, just in case. 4 days ago with no improvement. She was wormed two months ago. No signs of any external parasites.

Thoughts?

 

[azygous]

This could be a stuck egg. Clear liquid is often what gets pooped out due to an obstruction blocking the ceca. This blocks the production of cecal poop and also blocks the distribution of fluids to the rest of the hen's body, resulting in dehydration which makes the blockage even worse. Treat this as a life threatening crisis.

Give her a calcium tablet, preferably this.

Give one whole tablet directly into her beak. Set her up in a crate on absorbent towels so you can easily monitor her poop. And make plenty of water available to her along with her regular feed. Let her rest in a quiet place and check on her frequently. You want to know what is expelled, an intact egg or a broken one. If it comes out shell-less, another egg could be following right behind the first one.

You will need an oral anitbiotic to treat her for infection if an egg comes out broken. Amoxicillin is a good one. Tractor Supply often carries it.

 

[Ryguy3684]

I have powdered calcium citrate. I'm assuming that will work the same. I can mix it up in some yogurt, or something. Thanks.

 

[Ryguy3684]

This could be a stuck egg. Clear liquid is often what gets pooped out due to an obstruction blocking the ceca. This blocks the production of cecal poop and also blocks the distribution of fluids to the rest of the hen's body, resulting in dehydration which makes the blockage even worse. Treat this as a life threatening crisis.

Give her a calcium tablet, preferably this. View attachment 2937520Give one whole tablet directly into her beak. Set her up in a crate on absorbent towels so you can easily monitor her poop. And make plenty of water available to her along with her regular feed. Let her rest in a quiet place and check on her frequently. You want to know what is expelled, an intact egg or a broken one. If it comes out shell-less, another egg could be following right behind the first one.

You will need an oral anitbiotic to treat her for infection if an egg comes out broken. Amoxicillin is a good one. Tractor Supply often carries it.

Thanks. She had another water poop when I brought her in. I gave her a warm, Epsom salt, bath, checked again for an egg, gave her calcium, and gave her some coconut oil just in case it's a blockage from that end.

She ate some scratch from my hand last night, and a few bites of crumbles this morning. She had two completely normal poops last night. I'll keep her in and monitor her today. It's odd that something is definitely wrong, yet in some ways, seems perfectly healthy.

 

[Boogiemaam]

This could be a stuck egg. Clear liquid is often what gets pooped out due to an obstruction blocking the ceca. This blocks the production of cecal poop and also blocks the distribution of fluids to the rest of the hen's body, resulting in dehydration which makes the blockage even worse. Treat this as a life threatening crisis.

Give her a calcium tablet, preferably this. View attachment 2937520Give one whole tablet directly into her beak. Set her up in a crate on absorbent towels so you can easily monitor her poop. And make plenty of water available to her along with her regular feed. Let her rest in a quiet place and check on her frequently. You want to know what is expelled, an intact egg or a broken one. If it comes out shell-less, another egg could be following right behind the first one.

You will need an oral anitbiotic to treat her for infection if an egg comes out broken. Amoxicillin is a good one. Tractor Supply often carries it.

I am having this issue. Can doxy be used in this setting as well?

 

[azygous]

I am having this issue. Can doxy be used in this setting as well?

Doxycycline treats gram negative bacteria. If your hen happens to have a reproductive infection and the bacteria happens to be one such as E-coli, then Doxy will treat it.

If you suspect your hen is egg bound, give her a calcium tablet. Doxy will not help to get a stick egg out, but calcium will.

 

[canne50]

No yoghurt. Chickens are naturally lactose intolerant.
Best to you!