She's gonna blow!

[hillcountrychickens]

My poor leghorn. She has not been able to lay in months, and it would appear she's just blowing up like a balloon. tonight she could not even waddle herself into the henhouse. I feel the kindest thing to do is end her suffering (vets here don't do chickens for whatever reason) so I will have to find a nice way to do this without causing her pain. She looks awful, she's got to be in pain. Poor baby. Can anyone help?

 

[ginbart]

I am so sorry. I wish I knew what to tell you. God bless you. I hope some one answers you soon.

 

[2 Beauts]

OK, totally newbie question here, and I'm not trying to make light of the situation, but, would a vaseline suppository help her? Maybe let the egg slide on out?

 

[arlee453]

She may be laying internally. Only the chicken equivalent of a hysterectomy would be able to help her long term if that is the case.

Either way if she appears to be in pain and is not getting better, I'd think the most humane thing for her would be to euthanize her. In my opinion, the quickest and most humane method of doing that is a quick (one stroke) removal of the head.

I'm sorry - it's never fun to have to say goodbye to an animal friend.

 

[d.k]

* I saw someone recommend starter fluid-- which you must also be very careful with though. . . . SORRY bout your girl.

 

[therealsilkiechick]

so very sorry to hear about ur girl.

does she have oyster shell she can eat? i'd mabe try that mabe she can't make hard shells to lay them due to lack of calcium.

u should try her in a warm bath a few times a day and massage her from top of belly towards her bum and see if it will help exspell the egg or eggs first on their own in the water. i would euthonize only as a last resort.

it might work it's way down enough also so she can pass it on own in a few days or drop far enough u can pull it out for her but i would use mineral oil or something slippery to remove if u did so as not to hurt her. if it does and u have to help her becareful not to break it if u can. if it does carefully remove all pieces so they don't cut her insides up, make sure u get all of it. if all that doesn't work then i'd put her down.

gasing her with ether like mentioned above is one humane way. put a rag in a plastic bag and soak it with it. put it over her head hold it closed and she will just go to sleep within a minute.
silkie

 

[tiki244]

d.k :

* I saw someone recommend starter fluid-- which you must also be very careful with though. . . . SORRY bout your girl.

no not starter fluid it is a spray that you spray into older carburators to start the car....is that the same thing?,,,,well its not lighter fluid​

 

[therealsilkiechick]

i can never remember which it is but it is the one that contains ether.

 

[chcknrs]

That would be starter fluid

 

[earthnut]

You can lubricate the vent with vaseline - this got my eggbound hen to lay.

Also, you can give the hen a warm bath - it's supposed to relax the vent muscles so the hen can lay.

Check for things that might be cause eggboundness - in my hen she had lice and vent gleet irritating her vent so it was painful to lay. When I treated those things, she started laying again.