Omg 400 bucks for a chicken , I definitely could not afford that , I treat all the chickens in my neighborhood, for injuries or egg bound or bumblefoot surgery . Everything is on you tube , haven't lost a hen yet .
I know this thread was from 09 but I thought I'd add my experience in case anyone searched for do it yourself fixing of an egg bound , broken shell inside hen . This has worked for me numerous times and has saved the lives of many hens over the years and I can say " knock on wood , I have never...
One of my first hatches I thought a vein was a blood ring but I decided to leave the egg in just in case I was wrong , well I was wrong , turned out to be one of my favorite hens , sometimes you just can't give up .
You can get oxytetracycline HCL at Tractor Supply , about six or seven bucks , mix it with water , my rooster gets a respiratory infection every year , wheezing and all , clears it up every time