No Longer Egg-bound but Still Poorly

[julesapple]

On Friday, Our Buff Sussex was not quite herself. Saturday, she was reluctant to leave the henhouse but followed the girls into the garden. She was a little slow, and sat down every few yards and her appetite was really poor - she's a greedy girl normally. On Friday, I put it down to the fact that we are midway through Flubenvetting and maybe she didn't feel too good after the medication.

As she hadn't laid an egg for a few days, we thought she might be eggbound, so today we did the warm water bath. We also cleared her bottom, which was mucky. By this time she wasn't looking too bright at all and we thought we would lose her. DD also put some olive oil into the vent after we dried her off.

We left her in the shade, in the cool grass and a little while later she did lay an egg, very thin shelled and a little out of shape. The she took herself off into the coop with one of our broodies, so we put her in the spare broody coop by herself but next to the broodies. She's sitting quietly, tail down, not interested in food or water and her comb is fairly pale. DD has just put a syringe full of electrolyte solution into her.

She still looks very poorly to me, even though the egg has been passed. Could we still lose her even though she has laid?

Jules

[Suechooks]

Could she have egg peritonitis? If she's normally a regular layer could things be going awry with her system? Baytril would be my favourite - it won't do any harm and might be the saving of her.

[julesapple]

Luckily, we've got some, so I'll give it a try. Thanks Sue!

[julesapple]

We lost her overnight. I did think she was looking perkier too.

Jules

[Nicos]

Awww- that's sad. x

[julesapple]

I know we lost her, but I think we might have saved her a lot of pain because we had this forum to turn to for advice. I just wish I'd been at home on Saturday and been able to do the warm bath thing earlier. Anyway, we had Buffy for two years and she, like the others, was spoiled rotten.

Jules

[Suechooks]

We lost her overnight. I did think she was looking perkier too.

Jules

So sorry to hear that Jules
At least she went peacefully.

[Flummery]

Sad news and sorry to hear about it. The out-of-shape egg might suggest a problem in there. We lost one to egg peritonitis and I suspect another has the possibility. She's on a second lot of Baytril - 2 months apart - but is perking up like she did last time. She isn't laying though, and I know we'll not cure it but you try to give them a happy life. While she's scratching, pecking (and bossing people!) I think she has that. You did your best for her - that's all any of us can do.

[polo]

oh, bad news! Sorry to hear it. x

[julesapple]

I've made a lemon cake today, using Buffy's last four eggs. They look fine from the outside, but the yolks became gradually paler and the shells gradually thinner. I wish I'd noticed this before, but they do look normal until you crack them. So there was definitely something awry going on deep inside.

The cake is fabulous (even though I say it myself) which, I think, is a good tribute to a lovely chook!

Jules