Egg Bound Chicken for at least 15 days.

[KarenJane]

Are your hens rescue? I say this because I have rescued chickens from a battery farm, unfortunately the beaks are cut to stop pecking/damage and also no idea how old, except at 18 months they are past their sell by date apparently If your hen was egg bound, she would have the penguin stance esp after 2 weeks on her last legs, you would know. Calcium and Epsom baths are perfect for treating egg bound hens, I don’t think that is the problem

I am pretty sure my Brother in law got them as pullets, so we "rescued" them from his yard after his passing. They were very well taken care of, had a nice run with warm coop (for Ohio).

She walks normally. *shrug* Unless we turned her over and looked and felt we would never know there was an egg in there. Or at least we think it's an egg. ??? It's a small round shape that has moved from high in her abdomen to closer to her vent over the past week.

 

[Kiki]

Hi, I'm no chicken expert so you're in good company.

We do not know where my BIL got them from, or how long he had them. I have no idea if their beaks are cut , worn or just deformed.

The one we are concerned with has a strangly deformed beak. It looks like she has a tooth on one side.

I wish we had more information on them, I wish we could ask him. But sadly we can't. This is our last good thing we can do for him. <3 :'(

Do you only feed them corn?
She's probably not egg bound...she's be dead if she had a stuck egg for this long.

She's probably laying internally which isn't good

Feeding only corn or corn often will cause others to start having laying disorders too. Get them on a layer type pelleted or crumbled feed only ASAP.

 

[KarenJane]

Is it possible these are rescue birds or birds from an egg production plant?
I ask since several appear to have been debeaked.

An eggbound hen would likely have passed within just 48 hours. I don't think it's egg binding if it's been 2+ weeks.

Internal laying and egg yolk peritonitis take longer to kill them but chickens have symptoms when ill with those. They act sick, lethargic, walk like a penguin and get very dirty bottoms.

Chickens hate change and being moved is a big change. If it's lack of eggs that is concerning or a hen not laying it could be from the stress of the move.

As far as we know my Brother in law had these chickens from when they were young. I don't know if he would have debeaked them. Our first thought was that they are deformed from inbreeding. *shrug*

I am sure they were stressed from the move. My BIL was in and out of the hospital for several weeks before he passed and the neighbors were taking care of them. One of them would routinely fly the coop and then come back at night.

We drove 18 hours across country with them in a dog crate in the back of our car to get them here. So I am sure that didn't help.

It is the last thing and the least thing we can do for him. <3 :'(

 

[KarenJane]

Do you only feed them corn?
She's probably not egg bound...she's be dead if she had a stuck egg for this long.

She's probably laying internally which isn't good

Feeding only corn or corn often will cause others to start having laying disorders too. Get them on a layer type pelleted or crumbled feed only ASAP.

Hi.

I know they were getting a mix of corn and other feed at my Brother in laws, we have been giving them a mix of grit, oyster shells and high protein feed for the past two weeks.

Corn is just a filler. Not good for any animals or even humans.

 

[KarenJane]

For the record.

We do not know where my BIL got these chickens.
We do not know how old they are.
He had them from when they were little.
Their beaks are not the issue here.
We have a chicken with a solid mass floating around in her abdomen.
She acts NORMAL. Eating, drinking, pooping.
They have been here since July 10th. None of them exhibit any symptoms of any issues other than that they are not all laying. We assume it's because of stress or age. We did not get them as layer chickens.

It was pretty stressful for us to see my BIL in the hospital dying of cancer at the age of 64. We took his chickens as a final act of caring and love for him, his world. He was a homesteader, gardening, canning, fishing. So we don't care if they ever lay an egg, we just want them to have a happy, healthy life here till they die.

So if no one has any advise for the egg bound issue I think this thread is finished.
I do appreciate all the concern and advise that was offered. So thank you.

 

[azurbanclucker]

So if no one has any advise for the egg bound issue I think this thread is finished.
I do appreciate all the concern and advise that was offered. So thank you.

Egg bound birds do not act "normal" after 2 weeks. They act close to death after that length of time, because they are. It's been suggested this is not an issue with egg binding, and it comes from a community expert. Up to you to decide whether or not to take that information. I definitely would. And I'd contact a vet with poultry experience to have her examined. An ultrasound or x-ray should answer your questions.

Best of luck getting her figured out!

 

[2ndTink]

For the record.

We do not know where my BIL got these chickens.
We do not know how old they are.
He had them from when they were little.
Their beaks are not the issue here.
We have a chicken with a solid mass floating around in her abdomen.
She acts NORMAL. Eating, drinking, pooping.
They have been here since July 10th. None of them exhibit any symptoms of any issues other than that they are not all laying. We assume it's because of stress or age. We did not get them as layer chickens.

It was pretty stressful for us to see my BIL in the hospital dying of cancer at the age of 64. We took his chickens as a final act of caring and love for him, his world. He was a homesteader, gardening, canning, fishing. So we don't care if they ever lay an egg, we just want them to have a happy, healthy life here till they die.

So if no one has any advise for the egg bound issue I think this thread is finished.
I do appreciate all the concern and advise that was offered. So thank you.

I think it's great that you have put in the time and love to care for your BIL's chickens, I'm sorry I don't have any advice on the egg bound part, you are doing everything already that I would do for that. Thank you for honoring your late brother in law, it's a beautiful thing you are doing ❤