Bantam chicken egg bound, with broken egg- how to treat?

[Weebee]

We have a little 7 yr old Bantam about (3lbs) who periodically becomes egg bound with a soft shelled egg and usually expels it within a day. This time it's going on 3 days and she's really suffering. We have given 2 warm baths, liquid calcium and vitamins with no luck yet. My son says he found a piece of egg shell on her bottom (in the drippy area near her vent) so we think that the egg has broken. He said it was semi-hard. I have not seen any eggshell yet but it makes sense. Today I tried to insert my finger but she fought terribly and I didn't get far and didn't feel any egg. I may try the farm vet in the morning but she is so little, and I'm not sure he has experience with this. Any one have any experience with this in a Bantam and how to remove the broken egg?
She is still drinking and still seems strong, but tomorrow we will need to take action.
We have information on how to change her diet later, but need advice for tomorrow.
Thanks!

 

[Weebee]

UPDATE The chicken has egg yolk peritonitis. My vet said that the prognosis is very poor and made it sound almost hopeless. He did inject her abdomen with antibiotics, and advised SMV TMz once a day, and tube feeding if we want to try. I asked about cleaning out her abdomen and he said that would involve surgery and it would probably not work in the long run, that the infection would just keep building up. He did not offer to drain the fluid.
Searching previous posts it looks like a couple people have had success treating this, but it's hard to get a good feel for it. This is my son's favorite pet, and I'm not sure what to tell him yet. Please share if you have had success treating. Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We have a little 7 yr old Bantam about (3lbs) who periodically becomes egg bound with a soft shelled egg and usually expels it within a day. This time it's going on 3 days and she's really suffering. We have given 2 warm baths, liquid calcium and vitamins with no luck yet. My son says he found a piece of egg shell on her bottom (in the drippy area near her vent) so we think that the egg has broken. He said it was semi-hard. I have not seen any eggshell yet but it makes sense. Today I tried to insert my finger but she fought terribly and I didn't get far and didn't feel any egg. I may try the farm vet in the morning but she is so little, and I'm not sure he has experience with this. Any one have any experience with this in a Bantam and how to remove the broken egg?
She is still drinking and still seems strong, but tomorrow we will need to take action.
We have information on how to change her diet later, but need advice for tomorrow.
Thanks!
Quote: I'm sorry to hear about your hen

Internal laying/reproductive disorders like Egg Yolk Peritonitis can be hard to treat. Antibiotics can help short term with infection. With Peritonitis, usually the abdomen cannot be drained - fluids would be thick and most likely egg yolks/egg matter that are gelatinous for lack of a better term (with Ascites - sometimes fluids can be drained to give relief).

If caught very early some people have had success with Suprelorin implants - this will stop the production of eggs so (hopefully) no more egg matter drops into the abdomen and allows the hen to heal and recover. This would be a with a small amount of egg in the abdomen that can be absorbed by the body and infection treated with antibiotics if need be.

It doesn't hurt to try everything you can to help her. Giving supportive care - extra vitamins, protein (egg, tuna) and lots of love (which I suspect she already has) can go a long way in healing or at least giving her comfort in her final days.

Here's some comparatives if you are interested - these do contain necropsy photos so consider them graphic - I think they are informative and give a chance to visualize what is happening. Each case of Peritonitis or Ascites will be slightly different, but I've found that symptoms and outcome are generally the same.

Hopefully someone else will give their input. I wish I had better answers, please keep us posted.

**GRAPHIC PHOTOS** Egg Peritonitis in hen - note fluid was removed during necropsy - but this does show some good photos of how the egg yolks and gelatanous matter are in the abdomen - it would be hard to drain this type of fluid and clean out the matter https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1154532/egg-yolk-peritonitis#post_18103856

Suprelorin Implant
https://poultrykeeper.com/reproductive-system-problems/suprelorin-implant-for-chickens/

Ascites (water belly) has some fairly good photos - shows the fluid filled abdomen - note the fluid is able to drain by gravity
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/853726/ascites-in-desperate-need-of-some-help-and-guidance

More information on Peritonitis and internal egg laying issues:
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/6-causes-of-chicken-swollen-abdomen.aspx
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

 

[Weebee]

This is the best compilation of information I've seen so far, and I have a much better understanding of it now. I have contacted my vet to see if the implant may be an option at this point. I really appreciate your help! It saves me the time and energy of plowing through a lot of other helpful and unhelpful info. What a terrible affliction this is!
Now to attend to our little bantam and my son who will be heartbroken when he finds out...

 

[Weebee]

This is the best compilation of information I've seen so far, and I have a much better understanding of it now. I have contacted my vet to see if the implant may be an option at this point. I really appreciate your help! It saves me the time and energy of plowing through a lot of other helpful and unhelpful info. What a terrible affliction this is!
Now to attend to our little bantam and my son who will be heartbroken when he finds out...

 

[lcertuche]

Sorry about your little hen.

 

[Weebee]

Update: the bantam recovered fully and has been doing great up til today. The vet seemed reluctant to try the implant, not sure why. He thought a bacteria culture was the better use of our money at that point, and he didn't feel she would live very long. We had the culture done and it turned out she didn't have any harmful bacteria. Now we wish we had gone for the implant because she is having another episode. My question is has anyone done the suprelorin implant in a bantam? She is 1.25 lbs (not the 3lb estimate I had in my first post). I know the cost is ridiculous for a chicken (and an old one at that), but this one is a beloved pet, almost as loved as our dog. Also if we decide to try the implant is there an advantage to getting it immediately or wait for her to recover? She only lays about once a month.

 

[lcertuche]

So is that like a chicken hysterectomy?

 

[Weebee]

UPDATE Sept. 2018 This elderly bantam chicken is still alive and well! She got the egg yolk peritonitis again twice, but recovered fully. The first time we gave her antibiotic drops for 10 days plus vitamin drops, the second time just vitamin drops. We are starting to realize that several of our older chickens get this periodically. Symptoms are a very hot abdomen, heavy weight (due to broken eggs in abdominal area) and very low energy, low appetite. Some recover on their own with vitamin drops and a little yogurt. If they don't seem better within a few days we give them antibiotics as well.

Update: the bantam recovered fully and has been doing great up til today. The vet seemed reluctant to try the implant, not sure why. He thought a bacteria culture was the better use of our money at that point, and he didn't feel she would live very long. We had the culture done and it turned out she didn't have any harmful bacteria. Now we wish we had gone for the implant because she is having another episode. My question is has anyone done the suprelorin implant in a bantam? She is 1.25 lbs (not the 3lb estimate I had in my first post). I know the cost is ridiculous for a chicken (and an old one at that), but this one is a beloved pet, almost as loved as our dog. Also if we decide to try the implant is there an advantage to getting it immediately or wait for her to recover? She only lays about once a month.