# Sick Chick



## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

Hi there, I have noticed one of my hens acting differently, she did not come over for any corn and she is hiding away from everyone/ every chicken. Her tail is upright and her head is down and her faeces are coming out very watery (also bubbly) After reading up possible illnesses I read that she may be egg bound. This makes sense considering I found a yolk on the pavement this morning. I bathed her for a little while which relaxed her a lot but I have now also noticed that her crop feels very peculiar ( spongy- wet and very hot)? If anyone has any advice or has witnessed any of this with their hens I would be very appreciative !
Thanks 
Lucia


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

On the crop, that could be from her not eating but still drinking water which isn't a bad thing. Wet could be because she just drank or threw up the water she drank. 

The foamy feces you saw could be from internal parasites. Do you worm them? 

The consistency could be from excess water and no food intake. 

What is her weight like? When do you think she laid her last egg? How old is she?

I noticed your spelling of the word species with implies you're from Europe. Do you have a vet that can help you figure out what is going on with her?


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

robin416 said:


> On the crop, that could be from her not eating but still drinking water which isn't a bad thing. Wet could be because she just drank or threw up the water she drank.
> 
> The foamy feces you saw could be from internal parasites. Do you worm them?
> 
> ...


Hi, 
I have wormed the flock recently but I am unable to know exactly when and if she laid an egg just yet because she has been in with the rest of the flock but I have segregated her now so I will know tomorrow. I just went out there and noticed that as well as her crop feeling very squishy it is a flaming red colour? Even know it is bald it doesn't look red as in it has been pecked but red as in some sort of rash ? I will attach a picture.
Thank you


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

What do they roost on? That looks like a skin irritation with the more irritated part on her lower abdomen. And all of those missing feathers is a concern. She could have done that to herself because of the skin irritation.

Something more is going on with her that might not have anything to do with egg laying. Generally if one is having an issue laying once they get the offending material out of their bodies they feel like themselves again. 

I really don't have many more ideas from this side of the computer screen. I can reach out to a friend to see what he thinks.


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

robin416 said:


> What do they roost on? That looks like a skin irritation with the more irritated part on her lower abdomen. And all of those missing feathers is a concern. She could have done that to herself because of the skin irritation.
> 
> Something more is going on with her that might not have anything to do with egg laying. Generally if one is having an issue laying once they get the offending material out of their bodies they feel like themselves again.
> 
> I really don't have many more ideas from this side of the computer screen. I can reach out to a friend to see what he thinks.


Thank you that would be great if you could.
They roost on ordinary wooden perches in the coop. The only possible thing I am thinking is that it has been very hot here recently so if she did have some irritation on her skin perhaps the heat has made it worse?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's possible. What about mites? Those little buggers can make them miserable.

I've sent out a note to him to see if he can come up with any better ideas.


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

robin416 said:


> It's possible. What about mites? Those little buggers can make them miserable.
> 
> I've sent out a note to him to see if he can come up with any better ideas.


We haven't really had a problem with mites for a while now but I will disinfect the coop completely tomorrow to rule that out. I will also mite dust her down tonight to see if that makes her more comfortable.
Thanks for your advice


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

I’ve just found the skin / outer membrane bit of a shell in the nest box where she is sleeping.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I suspect the yolk you found on the pavement belongs to the hen in question especially after you found a soft shell in her nest box. If you didnt notice deposited egg whites along with the yolk, a bacterial infection will occur internally and no amount of antibiotics will help her.

Does the redness extend down to the lower abdomen and is there any swelling in the lower abdomen?


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

dawg53 said:


> I suspect the yolk you found on the pavement belongs to the hen in question especially after you found a soft shell in her nest box. If you didnt notice deposited egg whites along with the yolk, a bacterial infection will occur internally and no amount of antibiotics will help her.
> 
> Does the redness extend down to the lower abdomen and is there any swelling in the lower abdomen?


To be completely honest I didn't completely check her lower abdomen when I was bathing her as I was so shocked at the redness on her crop. 
When you say no amount of antibiotics will help her .. what do you reckon I should do ?? She is currently sleeping and I have isolated her from the other girls incase she would start to get picked on. I have never experienced anything like this so I don't know if it is a one off or if my other girls are in trouble, I don't want anyone to be in discomfort.


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

Lucia said:


> To be completely honest I didn't completely check her lower abdomen when I was bathing her as I was so shocked at the redness on her crop.
> When you say no amount of antibiotics will help her .. what do you reckon I should do ?? She is currently sleeping and I have isolated her from the other girls incase she would start to get picked on. I have never experienced anything like this so I don't know if it is a one off or if my other girls are in trouble, I don't want anyone to be in discomfort.


I will check and update tomorrow but the position she is in (back end high up and head down) does suggest she is feeling discomfort down there.


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

Funny enough she is doing the opposite to standing like a penguin because she is tilted the complete other way. It’s almost like she’s trying to stop the awful mystery substance from coming out her back end.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Penguin stance is typical of an eggbound or egg impacted hen. Try putting her in a container of warm water up to her sides. The warm water will relax and expand her innards. Soak her for about 20 minutes and gently massage her underside front to rear while she's soaking. The massaging will encourage her to move a stuck egg along. After 20 minutes, put a little olive oil on your finger and insert it just inside her vent and on the outside of the vent. This will make it easier for her to lay a stuck egg. Of course wear a disposable glove when you do this. 
The discharge you're seeing might be the egg whites mixed with other material of some sort.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I forgot to add that sometimes the penguin stance might be egg yolk peritonitis (EYP.) Her lower abdomen will be swollen and most likely red. If this is the case, I recommend that you cull her.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

She said the stance is the opposite of the penguin position. 

I wonder if this hasn't been going for a while, that she's had other eggs internally because this is odd. The missing feathers, the red irritated skin, the stance.


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

dawg53 said:


> Penguin stance is typical of an eggbound or egg impacted hen. Try putting her in a container of warm water up to her sides. The warm water will relax and expand her innards. Soak her for about 20 minutes and gently massage her underside front to rear while she's soaking. The massaging will encourage her to move a stuck egg along. After 20 minutes, put a little olive oil on your finger and insert it just inside her vent and on the outside of the vent. This will make it easier for her to lay a stuck egg. Of course wear a disposable glove when you do this.
> The discharge you're seeing might be the egg whites mixed with other material of some sort.


I read about the penguin position yesterday but she doesn't seem to be in that position. I gave her a soak as well and this morning she seems to be a lot perkier and not cowering in the back of the flock.


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

UPDATE *
This morning I checked her and she seemed much more comfortable, I’m hoping the whole egg situation is better since she passed that egg shell last nigh. The thing troubling me is that I checked her chest and the rash does extend all the way down her abdomen.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Lucia, if she's internally laying it's only a matter of a pretty short time before this is going to catch up to her. Other than spaying or hormone treatments there isn't really any way to stop this.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Can you post a pic of her lower abdomen?


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

Sorry for the rubbish photo but this just shows the redness all the way down her


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

Also her crop is very hot to touch and still


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

*red


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

Also her crop is very hot to touch and still bright red


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

dawg, could this all be from blocked crop? Or since she mentioned that crop was squishy in another post, sour crop?

Lucia, can you take all food and water away from her over night and check her crop before giving it back to her in the morning? You want it to be empty. 

Make note if she's standing at the waterer drinking a lot.


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## Lucia (Aug 25, 2019)

robin416 said:


> dawg, could this all be from blocked crop? Or since she mentioned that crop was squishy in another post, sour crop?
> 
> Lucia, can you take all food and water away from her over night and check her crop before giving it back to her in the morning? You want it to be empty.
> 
> Make note if she's standing at the waterer drinking a lot.


Yes I'll do that and see tomorrow if her crop has emptied properly.


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