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Can eggs break inside them? If so, what to do?

post #1 of 5
12/10/11 at 11:57am
Thread Starter 

My 1.5 year old black sex linked hen Delia hasn't been acting like herself the last couple of days.  She kinda stands off by herself and although she eats, it isn't with enthusiasm.  I checked her butt yesterday and there are almost no feathers on it.  Today I checked again and there looks to be egg yolk dripped out of her vent.  Yesterday I noticed some egg yolk on the poop board, but I thought it had been a fart egg that exploded on contact.  Could she have a broken egg inside of her?  If so, what can be done about it?  Anything else that could be going on that you guys can think of?  She is alert and walking around.  Her vent is closed and appears normal (to me).  Thanks!

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post #2 of 5
12/10/11 at 12:34pm

Can you post a picture? She might be egg-bound. If this is the case, you should lubricated your hands (or thin rubber gloves) with petrolium jelly, then stick a finger or two up her vent and try to get the egg pieces out.

"The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And wither then? I cannot say." -Bilbo.

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"The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can, pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way where many paths and errands meet. And wither then? I cannot say." -Bilbo.

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post #3 of 5
12/10/11 at 5:10pm

Here is a link to a thread that includes instructions for treating your hen if an egg broke inside her. See post #3 in this thread, and good luck to you smile  http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=592094

If an egg has broken inside your hen and you don't get all of the pieces and egg out, whatever material is left inside can cause infection.


Edited by RhodeIslandRedFan - 12/10/11 at 5:13pm
Happy chickens to us all!
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Happy chickens to us all!
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post #4 of 5
12/11/11 at 8:16am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RhodeIslandRedFan 

Here is a link to a thread that includes instructions for treating your hen if an egg broke inside her. See post #3 in this thread, and good luck to you smile  http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=592094

If an egg has broken inside your hen and you don't get all of the pieces and egg out, whatever material is left inside can cause infection.


Thanks, this was helpful.  I gave her a warm bath last night and irrigated her vent with vinegar and water.  What came out was a whitish/yellow fluid but no shells.  Not even a tiny piece of a shell.  I lubed up the opening with some Vaseline as well.  She enjoyed getting dried off in front of the space heater.  Today she has passed a lot of the same whitish/yellowish fluid (looks like egg yolk and egg white) but no shells.  She isn't much interested in eating and sleeps right next to the heat lamp on her roost.  I have her isolated from the rest of the girls.  She is alert and doesn't appear to be ill.  Later on I will go out with my husband (to hold her) and see about feeling around in the vent for shell pieces.  If I don't feel anything, she goes to the vet tomorrow.  Could there be something else going on?

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post #5 of 5
12/12/11 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 

A trip to the vet this morning revealed that Delia did in fact have a collapsed egg inside her, but it was a soft one and couldn't be felt on palpation.  It showed up on the x-ray.  Amazingly, she expelled the thing after they took her x-ray.  Unfortunately it's infected so she will be on antibiotics for 10 days.  She's spending the night at the vet so they can rehydrate her, give her some food and meds.  Wonder if this will be a recurrent problem with her, now.  My poor little girl.

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BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures › Can eggs break inside them? If so, what to do?