I recently lost one of my girls, a bantam Easter egger named whitey. She laid her last egg on August 21st as she was perched. She often laid while perched at night or in random places. Her eggs were almost always misshapen and/or had nodules on them. She laid virtually every day. At one point she had laid an egg 22 days in a row! I'm assuming she had some kind of reproductive defect.
Yesterday (Aug 24) I noticed her perched in mid-day. When I checked on her she was lethargic and her abdomen/vent area was swollen. I could feel an egg and with her other symptoms, and her being very small, I assumed she was eggbound.
I gave her an Epson salt bath, lubed her cloacha and isolated her with food and water. She wasn't drinking or eating. I started giving her water with a dropper. After 2 baths and massages... nothing. This morning (Aug 25) I could feel the egg just inside her vent. I gave her another bath while massaging and pushing the egg a little to rotate it. She passed the egg with my help after the bath.
I left her alone for a few hours, but realized she wasn't recovering. She was lethargic, could barely stand. I started her on antibiotics and I kept giving her water. Her abdomen was still swollen, but I couldn't feel an egg. Her crop was full still.
She died in the evening (Aug 25).
I thought I'd caught it in time since I got the egg out.
What could I have done differently? Just catch it earlier? Does the condition lead to infection or was it just too much for her little body? I've had chickens for 3 years and never had an eggbound hen.
Also, I have 8 other birds and they're all fine. 2 of them are the same bantam breed and I don't want this to happen again.
I have a chart of all my girls eggs tallied by day and total (I can tell them all apart).
Thanks in advance.
Yesterday (Aug 24) I noticed her perched in mid-day. When I checked on her she was lethargic and her abdomen/vent area was swollen. I could feel an egg and with her other symptoms, and her being very small, I assumed she was eggbound.
I gave her an Epson salt bath, lubed her cloacha and isolated her with food and water. She wasn't drinking or eating. I started giving her water with a dropper. After 2 baths and massages... nothing. This morning (Aug 25) I could feel the egg just inside her vent. I gave her another bath while massaging and pushing the egg a little to rotate it. She passed the egg with my help after the bath.
I left her alone for a few hours, but realized she wasn't recovering. She was lethargic, could barely stand. I started her on antibiotics and I kept giving her water. Her abdomen was still swollen, but I couldn't feel an egg. Her crop was full still.
She died in the evening (Aug 25).
I thought I'd caught it in time since I got the egg out.
What could I have done differently? Just catch it earlier? Does the condition lead to infection or was it just too much for her little body? I've had chickens for 3 years and never had an eggbound hen.
Also, I have 8 other birds and they're all fine. 2 of them are the same bantam breed and I don't want this to happen again.
I have a chart of all my girls eggs tallied by day and total (I can tell them all apart).
Thanks in advance.
.
