My Silver laced Wyandotte, EffieGrace isn't doing too well. Last night after two long days of free ranging, I found EffieGrace squatted down in the back of the run just sitting in the corner. That seemed weird. I went over to her and said something which usually get a response...nothing. When I looked closer she was panting with her mouth open. When I tried to nudge her with a chicken herding stick she just sat there. That's when I know for sure something was definatley wrong.
I yelled for Mark and went in to get her. She usually runs away from you but this time there was no movement. She just sat there. I picked her up and moved her to the middle of the yard. She didn't budge. I got her some treats. Still nothing. That is wen I knew I would have to quarantine her so the other girls wouldn't figure out there was something wrong with her and maybe kill her trying to rearrange the pecking order. And so I could try to figure out what is wrong.I put her in the dog kennel with some straw and water. She just sat there panting and holding her tail in a funny position.
This is when I first put her in the kennel. He color is good and she is standing.
A little bit later I checked on her and she hadn't moved and the color of her comb and waddle were a little more pale red. And she was still panting.
I give her some water...nope not interested. I stroke her and talk to her telling her that I am going to try to figure this out.
Just before sitting down to dinner I check in on her again and she is back to standing. Good sign I think at this point.
I've already gone through the home exam checklist:
check for wounds
check color and state of comb and wattle
look for lice or mites
check her leg scales
has her body weight changed at all
are feathers clean and glossy
check her crop
is she egg bound (possible)
check the vent
check her breathing
eyes and nostrils are clear
check her poop
has there been a predator (yes...red shoulder hawk fly overs today)
is she eating (yes before and no now)
fresh food and water available
clean dry pine shavings for bedding
free range for longer the last few days
lots of extra gardening noise lately (leaf blower, saws and hammers)
All through dinner I am racking my brain.
Then I go out to make another check and try to talk Mark into letting me bring her in the family room so I could sleep on the cough and check on her through the night. He thought that was a little excessive. But this is what I found!
An egg with no shell. I feels like a really soft rubber ball. So I get out all my books and start to read. Since she is only a year old I'm think she is just young but need more calcium. So I add a little bit of oyster shells.
She is still standoffish but she isn't panting anymore.
Every time I check on her she is laying in a different spot in a different position. I am guessing that she just can't get comfortable. So I am now planning to give her a warm soak.
I have given her fresh water, some strawberry tops, so oyster shells mixed with her layer crumbles. Mark is on his way to the grocery for some organic apple cider vinegar. I really can
t tell if she is eating or drinking or not. The thing that concerns me now is her tail. She is keeping it sort of tucked under.
Could she be egg bound today? I know if that is the case I need to handle her with care not wanting to break the egg inside her. That could be an even more dangerous situation. From reading and egg bound chicken will die with in 48 hours. So now we are going to soak her in Epsom salt warm water for 20 minutes. Towel dry her or use the blow drier. Rub vegetable oil around her vent and massage her abdomen. She will be sleeping in the crate in the family room tonight with a towel covering her and a warmed one in her kennel. And then I am going to put some spring of lavender in her bed tonight. I will be doing this once an hour until she lays an egg. I'll give it a bit but them might consider putting her in a nesting box with some lavender where it is familiar for her.
If anyone can help please leave a message of a PM on FB.
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