Update - Euthanized her -Don't know what to do - think she's gonna die

[McGoo]

I've got a cuckoo marans - around 3 years old - she was acting listless and so I noticed she had lice... thought that was it. treated her and all the others, cleaned out the coops, followed up 2 weeks later.

Well she's worse than ever. She kinda squats all the time. Doesn't seem to care about the food, but her bottom area seems swollen. Could she be egg bound? I don't think she's laid an egg in a while... hard to know with my bunch.
What should I be looking for? I really need ideas? Anything that I can do to try to solve. Please help

 

[dkvart1]

McGoo, I have no idea, I don't even own a chicken yet, but I did a search and came up with this thread, there are a couple of others as well.... might help, I sure hope so...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=19259

Good luck

 

[CrestedGirl]

If she is egg bound, ( it kind of sounds like it ) you should put her in warm water for 15 minutes and lightly massage her vent area. You could also put a little mineral oil around her vent. If none of this works you put her in a dry box where it is calm and dark. Hope she gets better

 

[dkvart1]

This link may be more helpful... has a link to what someone else had to do to free egg.... a little more detailed...it stated that egg MUST be removed or it could rupture inside her, causing bleeding and infection.... Hope this link helps

again best of luck

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=69264

 

[McGoo]

thank you all. I'll try the warm bath this evening and see if I can move things a bit. I'll use oil too. Is any oil ok? or does it need to be mineral oil. I don't have any. I'll have to go find some at the store if necessary. thanks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

doesn't have to be mineral oil it can be olive oil or even vaseline. Hope she gets better

 

[McGoo]

Well I tried... used the warm bath and massaged. I couldn't feel any specific egg... the whole area is swollen. I tried to go into her vent (vasoline)... some red colored pea soup consistancy, came out... in dribs and drabs.

then some poop, but no sign of egg colored anything. I got clean water and did the bathing again and tried massaging. she wasn't comfortable when I massaged on her left side. the bottom and other side were okay. I dried her a bit and put her in ICU where the temp is 72. Hope that's okay. I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

The confusing part was how/where to go once you're in her vent how do I get past the entrance area? It is difficult cause she's all swollen? Is there a method I should be following?

 

[spiritdance]

I had a lavender Dutch hen get egg bound several weeks ago. The egg was way up in the abdomen. I could just feel the firm roundness of it just under her rib cage on the left side. Like you, I couldn't reach it through the vent, so I put her in my lap on a heating pad and began gently massaging, starting at the top of what felt like the egg and stroking very gently but firmly downward. It took me a while, and she wasn't comfortable with it (I stopped about every 10 or 15 minutes to let her rest), but after about an hour and a half of this the egg suddenly shifted down. I massaged a bit more, then felt the top of the egg definitely riding just above the pelvic bone. The egg was HUGE. It was nearly the size of a small standard chicken egg ... Dutchies are some of the smallest bantams and their eggs are just bigger than quail eggs. Juliette (the hen) began trying to pass the egg, but after about 45 minutes or so it became apparent that she wasn't going to be able to. I did the only thing I knew to do at that point ... I carefully cracked out the bottom of the egg through her vent. Once the egg's insides came out (in my hand ... not the most pleasant sensation), I massaged the egg again and it caved in on itself. One good push and Juliette flipped her vent out and expelled the egg. I was afraid she might prolapse at that point, but she didn't. I once again checked her vent to make sure there were no sharp pieces of egg shell left in there, then just held her a cuddled her for a while to calm her.

I kept her inside on a heating pad for several days after that and put antibiotics in her water. I fed her plenty of chopped egg, yogurt, oatmeal, and mixed veggies. NO LAYING PELLETS! I can tell you that her relief after that egg was out was SOOO obvious! While I'm sure she was sore, she started standing upright again immediately, moving around more, scratching, cooing, and just generally doing happy hen things. Beforehand, she was squatting, barely moving, not eating or drinking ... I thought for sure she was going to die. Today, she's back out in her pen with her pen mates and is again laying 4 or 5 eggs a week (all normal size, thank goodness). I'm keeping a close eye on her, as I understand that some hens are prone to egg binding again after a first bout with it.

I don't know if this will help you any, but don't assume she's not egg bound just because you can't feel the egg in the vent. In Juliette's case, I think the egg was so big that her body just wasn't strong enough to move it down the egg tract. If your hen is egg bound like that, you may have to try massaging it down as I did, because the longer it's in there, the less chance your hen has to recover.

 

[McGoo]

Spiritdance, Thanks. That is very helpful. I will work with her in the morning. DId your gal have blood? That's what really has me so worried. I think she's far gone.... though I will definitely try. I don't want to put her through a lot of pain and not be able to help her. I hope I hope I hope

 

[McGoo]

Well it's not going very well. I have been bathing her and massaging.... nothing except she is now happy when I put her back in ICU. I went to all the links. I gave her corn w/eggs and a little grain. I have started her on antibiotics. I'm not into giving it freely, but she's got some major things wrong in the bum. Maybe that'll help.

I keep thinking about the hypocratic oath - do no harm. Am I doing harm by massaging her and annoying her?

Other ideas please.