EMERGENCY: Egg Bound Chicken with dislodged egg

[Sophie Stokes]

We thought our chicken was egg bound as she hasn't laid in a few days and she was straining with an egg sitting just inside of her so we sat her in warm water for approx 30 mins. when we lifted her out, her egg had moved into her chest, just in front of her right wing. What do we do?!

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. It sounds like you are feeling a full or impacted crop in her right upper chest. An egg wouldn't move from just inside the vent up into the chest. Did you insert a finger into her vent to feel for the egg? If you feel an egg, give her a calcium tablet, Tums, or grind up some egg shells and feed them to her in yogurt. Then place her in a warm bathroom, and run the shower to make it humid and warm.

 

[Sophie Stokes]

Thank you for your help... We're new to chicken keeping and we panicked there a minute! It did seem a bit impossible when looking at a diagram of their innards!

The crop has moved this morning and she seems to be fine. We only checked her in the first place because she is red raw on her belly with no feathers and her leg too and she doesn't fly up to the perch with the others. We were wondering if something was wrong. Any suggestions?

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she been sitting in a nest box, since that could be that she is becoming broody? How old is she? Check her skin around her vent and elsewhere for tiny bugs (lice or mites.) Give her an all over examine and watch her walking to see if she has an injury. In some hens, there are several different reproductive problems that can occur, such as internal laying. Any other information may help.