Egg bound nothing I could do =(

So I lost my first Hen a few weeks ago .. I thought I could save her I tried everything I could... warm baths ointment in the vent even tried to get to the egg but it was out of reach.. there seemed to be way more then one egg maybe 3 or 4 she lasted longer then most said... almost 2 weeks ..and all the while I kept her in the house out of the cold New England cold.. trying everything under the sun to help ... I wish I went to Vet school or knew a vet when problems like this arise because I feel totally helpless... I know she was in pain but she was eating and drinking well the entire time .. until her last few hours .. So sad and my heart still aches Does anyone know if there was anything else that I could have done ??? I gave calcium too ... still it didnt help

So sorry about your girl, it is always hard to lose a pet. I do wish there were more vets who were willing to see chickens. Maybe somebody else can chime in with other treatments you could try if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, but I am sure your girl knew you did your best to care for her.

Sorry for your loss... How much calcium did you give?

-Kathy

Sorry for your loss that is sad

I gave calcium in the form of extra oyster shells in her diet because a friend with chickens told me to try that and she was still eating really well inspite of her discomfort ... I guess I wasnt giving enough all along ..Im not sure how common it is to have this happen but it really sticks ,, I was able to save two of my girls the first year from some form of bacterial infection with some of my own antibiotics I had when I caught Lyme .. It seemed pretty grim and I came really close to losing one maybe within hours but somehow I got them back to healthy happy hens again .. I guess thats why I feel so bad because nothing I tried seemed to help ... Im just an animal lover and want to do all I can .. Thats why I love this site because it really helps talking to people and getting advise and everyone on here seems so nice .. So thank you everyone and if anyone has gone through the egg bound ordeal and would like to share some advice please do .. Would love to know as much as I can on this .. Thank You ... Julianna

Next time you have one that's egg bound give her 500-1000mg of calcium orally. I now use liquid calcium gluconate which you can get at Tractor Supply, but I have also used regular human calcium pills. Since I have started doing this I haven't had to give any baths.




-Kathy

So sorry to hear about your hen. I've got one I'm dealing with now, I supplement their diet with calcium and egg shells but how can you make sure they eat it. She has been straining so hard she has proplasped vent now.

Sunflower said:

So sorry to hear about your hen. I've got one I'm dealing with now, I supplement their diet with calcium and egg shells but how can you make sure they eat it. She has been straining so hard she has proplasped vent now.

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Give her calcuim orally ASAP!

-Kathy

Thank you, that is the one thing I have not tried and had not heard of yet.

Sunflower said:

Thank you, that is the one thing I have not tried and had not heard of yet.

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Source:http://www.avianweb.com/eggbinding.html

Treatment:
If in doubt as to if the hen is egg bound or not, a few vet sites recommend separation, warmth, warm bath and calcium to all hens in lay that seem distressed.
This is a life-threatening condition and should be addressed by a qualified avian vet. Your vet may discuss:

• Calcium shots - immediate solution to help the egg shell harden allowing the hen to hopefully pass it
• Lupron shots to stop hens from going into breeding condition
• Spaying your hen as a permanent solution

The following are samples of actions that have resolved this problem for some birds (please note: not all hens can be saved, especially if it's critical by the time the problem was discovered and no vet is available or can be reached in time). Egg-bound hens go into profound cardiovascular collapse and may not be able to put in the effort to push the egg out without intervention.

• Suspected egg binding: Keep her in a warm area. Provide supportive care.

• Place the bird into a steamy room, such as bathroom with shower on until the bathroom mirrors and windows steam up. Desired temperature: 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit / Humidity: 60%. Place bird on wet towel. The warmth relaxes the hen so that the vent can dilate more allowing the egg to pass.
  
• A warm water bath can also be of great help (shallow water, of course, you don't want to drown the hen). This relaxes her muscles and often the hen will pass the egg into the water. Make the water as warm as you would like to take a long soak in.
  
• Massage the muscles in that area with olive oil. In many cases, this lead to a successful passing of the egg. Note: there is a risk associated with messaging this area. It could cause the egg inside to break - which is life-threatening. Be very careful! If in doubt, it's always best to have the vet take care of it ...
  
• Even if the cause is not hypocalcaemia in this hen’s case it will not hurt her to have more calcium.
  
• Applying a personal lubricant, such as KY jelly to her vent may also be helpful.
  
• To reduce swelling on her vent, some breeders reported success in applying Preparation H to her vent.
  
• Successful Passing of the Egg: Following passing of the egg keep the hen in a warm and quiet area separate from the others, until she is out of shock and back to eating and drinking well.

- See more at: http://www.avianweb.com/eggbinding.html#sthash.9H2TthOQ.dpuf