a strange thing happened when I saw my hen pooping...

[pointyp]

Hello-

My 1 yr old gold laced wyandotte hen has been hardly laying eggs the past 2 weeks, thought it might have happened since she is moulting, but just today I happened to see her "poop" and it looked like part of her "insides" extended outward when she did it. Also her poop was kinda soft & sloppy. She has been acting fairly normal except for the lack of eggs. She produced about 5-7 eggs a week before & she's still young. In the last 2 weeks it has slowed down to 1 egg a week. Do you think these things are related? Is a trip to the vet in order?

HELP my Miss Tutu! Seen in the photo below doing her favorite thing, stalking my cat, sweetpea.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointyp/2832242050/in/set-72157602240608105/

 

[007Dawn]

Hemmroids. don't think I spelled that right but get some Preperation H and rub it on her butt two times a day and she should get better quickly. But do it immediatley. You don't want that to get any worse.

 

[threehorses]

It's not hemhroids, it's prolapsing. This and no-eggs makes me concerned for a lack of enough calcium. I'd also be concerned that she might be an internal layer.

Pick her up, feel her abdomen very gently. Is it very heavy in the back? Lumpy at all?

Be sure she's eating laying pellets or crumbles with very little grains at this moment. Grains take away from calcium absorbtion and should be less than 10% of the bird's diet. She should also have an alternative calcium source like oyster shell grit. I personally don't recommend refeeding eggshells.

Because of her runny droppings, and to help with the calcium, I'd feed her and the other pullets yogurt. She should get it daily for a week. The others can get it weekly, as she can when she's back to normal. This provides calcium with vitamin D for absorbtion as well as living bacteria that will help solidify her droppings.

It's very important to do this immediately.

I'd also do the Preparation H since she's not yet fully prolapsed to help her to not prolapse.

If you can, it would also help to treat her with organic apple cider vinegar (OACV). I don't recommend organic because of the philosophy, but because it's made by bacteria not chemical fermentation. The bacteria are still within it and are also essential bacteria of the poultry digestive tract. it'll also give her vitamin D for calcium absorbtion, enzymes for food digestion, pH correction to help her droppings. All birds can have this. Give it at a rate of 1 ounce per one gallon of drinking water. I use that and yogurt once a week to once a month for my laying girls who are healthy. I use it daily for those who stop laying without being in a molt or are showing any signs of prolapse starting.

Do this now, and you might potentially stop an egg binding situation that usually follows those symptoms.

 

[Country4ever]

And about the Preparation H........put on a latex-type glove (or not) and put some up into her vent. Sometimes they are very swollen internally, and this helps, in case the swelling is causing problems with passing an egg. If anything is hanging out, gently push it back in.

 

[b.hromada]

She is just gorgeous! Love the pic, and your caption. I agree with the op's. Thats what I've heard also. Let us know if it works.

 

[007Dawn]

sorry prolasping I just relate it hemmroids. one day I will get the names right.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
lol no problem.