Egg bound?

[Banana01]

Found a hen laying around the broody boxes area somewhat lifeless, unable to move. She has always been a special needs hen, but has grown up and is still very sweet. I think she has layed eggs before, but she is less than one year.

Couple questions please!

1. How far in do you stick a finger to feel for an egg? I tried with my index finger but after about 1 inch i stopped. How far can you feel for an egg?

2. Alternative to epsom salts? I am warming up some water now to bathe her, but i dont have epsom salts. Is there another alternative?

I think she is going to die today because of how lifeless her body felt. It also feels very heavy, she has always been skinny but this morning there is a lot of weight. Any ideas to save her? Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry that you hen is not doing well.

If she's lethargic, then I would not soak her at all. Soaking may be a shock to her and send her on over the edge.

An inch or so is about all you need to feel for an egg.

I would give her drops of warmed sugar water or electrolytes. Once she's taking some fluids, then you can try getting calcium into her.

I'm very sorry, the feeling skinny but seems to weigh heavy, to me sounds like she's filled with fluid (Ascites). Is her abdomen below the vent between her legs bloated or tight like a drum?

 

[Banana01]

I'm sorry that you hen is not doing well.

If she's lethargic, then I would not soak her at all. Soaking may be a shock to her and send her on over the edge.

An inch or so is about all you need to feel for an egg.

I would give her drops of warmed sugar water or electrolytes. Once she's taking some fluids, then you can try getting calcium into her.

I'm very sorry, the feeling skinny but seems to weigh heavy, to me sounds like she's filled with fluid (Ascites). Is her abdomen below the vent between her legs bloated or tight like a drum?

Update: She passed away just about an hour ago. She has been skinned and gutted, and I examined her inside. Everything inside looked normal at first. Her digestive system looked normal and healthy. No signs of anything stuck. But there were a lot of small eggs and no shells, her body was very heavy and dense, although the abdomen felt normal. The egg mass inside her looked abnormal and surrounded by fluid.

She definitely had ascites as @Wyorp Rock mentioned. Her lungs were miscolored and looked like too much fluid built up. I do not know what may have caused this condition in her except maybe she was chronically ill her entire year of life.

It is the first time in my flock seeing this, but she was also a little bit slow to develop, and always smaller than the other hens, which is a symptom of her RVF and ascites that took her life. Time for soup.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear she died.
If the ovum looked abnormal, then possibly cancer, but respiratory viruses can affect the reproductive system as well.

You may want to look through some info I have collected over time, the second link, I think you may see what you saw, but hard to know.

Look through the slides in this link, anything look familiar? (Cystic Oviduct)
https://www.slideshare.net/VETIDEA/infectious-bronchitis-in-laying-hens-chickens

Ovarian cancers/tumors
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...omas-in-laying-hens-graphic-pictures.1064118/