Chronic egg bound hen advice

[Skyoaks413]

Hey guys, I have 2 year old golden sexlink who is my tiniest hen but lays huge almost duck size eggs. She's had trouble in the past with being egg bound and I've always given her some calcium and that does the trick. She's displaying the same symptoms as before, puffed up..tail down...squatting/straining. I've soaked her in epsom salt baths and given her calcium for the past two days but nothing is helping. Anything else I can do for her? Thank you!

 

[Skyoaks413]

This is my Gigi, i feel like if she doesn't pass the egg/eggs soon I'll lose her

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you feel inside her vent with one finger about an inch or two to check if you can feel an egg? You may want to also give her some vitamins with the calcium. Is she passing any droppings? How long since she last laid an egg? Has she had any signs of soft shell eggs or signs of laying internally? Make sure that she is drinking plenty of water.

 

[Skyoaks413]

Can you feel inside her vent with one finger about an inch or two to check if you can feel an egg? You may want to also give her some vitamins with the calcium. Is she passing any droppings? How long since she last laid an egg? Has she had any signs of soft shell eggs or signs of laying internally? Make sure that she is drinking plenty of water.

Thank you for your reply! I have not tried to feel inside for an egg, but I have gently massaged her backside in the tub and it feels very full and hard. I've given her crushed up tums mixed with a little scrambled eggs but she will barely eat. She has not laid an egg since she molted this winter, and there were two soft shelled eggs in the coop last week which I am assuming were hers. Only a tiny bit of droppings come out when she strains...sometimes none at all.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for your reply! I have not tried to feel inside for an egg, but I have gently massaged her backside in the tub and it feels very full and hard. I've given her crushed up tums mixed with a little scrambled eggs but she will barely eat. She has not laid an egg since she molted this winter, and there were two soft shelled eggs in the coop last week which I am assuming were hers. Only a tiny bit of droppings come out when she strains...sometimes none at all.

It could be that she has internal laying or another one of the reproductive disorders, instead of egg binding. Those can be very common in hens 2 and over, especially high production egg layers. If you Google "egg yolk peritonitis" you will find several good links to read. I will check back in the morning, and post some links.

 

[Skyoaks413]

It could be that she has internal laying or another one of the reproductive disorders, instead of egg binding. Those can be very common in hens 2 and over, especially high production egg layers. If you Google "egg yolk peritonitis" you will find several good links to read. I will check back in the morning, and post some links.

I think you may be right...I actually sucked it up and put a glove on and checked to see if I could feel anything and there's nothing that I can feel. But after I felt around some yellowish egg yolk came out with some other goo leading me to believe the egg has broken in there.

 

[Skyoaks413]

She has passed broken eggs and soft shell eggs before also, her eggs are very large and oblong she's always had a tough time poor girl.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would make sure that she is taking calcium and vitamin D to insure that she has the chance to lay strong egg shells. Some hens can have a damaged shell gland that will not produce hard shells, no matter how much calcium they get. Viruses such as infectious bronchitis in the past and injuries can cause this. Repeated soft eggs can set up infection in the oviduct, leading to salpingitis and egg yolk peritonitis. This is common in today's high production layers unfortunately.

 

[Skyoaks413]

I would make sure that she is taking calcium and vitamin D to insure that she has the chance to lay strong egg shells. Some hens can have a damaged shell gland that will not produce hard shells, no matter how much calcium they get. Viruses such as infectious bronchitis in the past and injuries can cause this. Repeated soft eggs can set up infection in the oviduct, leading to salpingitis and egg yolk peritonitis. This is common in today's high production layers unfortunately.

Should I try an antibiotic or penicillin in case she already has an infection brewing? Everything I've read about peritonitis is so grim I'm not sure what to do, however it's been four days so I know she's not egg bound. I'm pretty sure it's a soft egg or already broken egg in there, and yes she's always laid super thin shells when she does lay a normal egg. Poor girl. My other question : is the soaking in epsom salt bad for her if it is egg yolk peritonitis? I don't want to be doing anything to make her worse. Thanks so much!

 

[Skyoaks413]

These are her droppings from last night, also she is making a little click sound when she breathes this morning