Chicken has 2-3 eggs stuck HELP!

[DBoltres]

My husband was just checking on the girls and one of them seems to have 2 or more eggs stuck. What do we do?!?

 

[speckledhen]

How do you know this? Did he palpate up the vent? Or did he feel a mass in the abdomen? If up the vent and he felt an egg, then an emergency dose of crushed Tums (not Rolaids) for calcium is one thing to do (I mix with plain yogurt to get them to eat it), plus, one of the best things you can do for an egg bound hen is give her a warm bath (The steam, though not too hot, in particular helps egg bound hens). Let her sit in the warm water for a little while if you can, lube up her vent with KY or simple veg oil-if you drip it on her vent, she will draw it in. Blow dry her *they seem to like that* and put her in a warm, dark place if she hasn't passed an egg yet.

If it is a mass in the abdomen, could be the eggs have dropped into the abdomen, which is considered internal laying or false laying (there is a slight difference in the two, but the result is the same). In that case, there is nothing that can really be done.

 

[Muggsmagee]

Speckledhen gave solid advice. I lost an eggbound silkie a few months back...even after warm baths and giving her drops of olive oil on her vent. Nothing helped her to pass it.

If these methods work for you this time to help your hen pass her egg(s) keep in mind it is very likely that it will be a recurring scenario for this hen. Sometimes the hen's plumbing just doesn't do what it is supposed to. Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

[speckledhen]

Sometimes the hen's plumbing just doesn't do what it is supposed to.

Ain't that the truth? I've lost so many hens to internal laying. I've had one egg bound twice, but was able to help her pass it, had one who had an egg-within-an-egg drop into her abdomen and of course, could not save her. They go through so much to lay that one egg every day or so. Amazing little critters, they are. Hope you can save your hen. Let us know.​

 

[DBoltres]

She has been straining trying to lay, and her abdomen is tender and swollen. We gave her the bath, followed by lubing her with Vaseline. Nothing is happened, and when my husband lubbed her up, he could not feel the tip of the egg. Does that mean its dropped into her abdomen? We are worried, because of course these things always seem to happen when we are getting ready to leave for a few days. I don't want my teenage chicken sitter to have to deal with her. Do we put her down if it doesn't happen soon?

 

[Muggsmagee]

Vaseline is not enough of a lube. It is too thick. If you have veg/canola/corn/or olive oil, you should use that. Or use KY for humans. Just apply several drops around the opening of the vent. Your hen will "draw it in". She is not going to be able to draw in vaseline to coat the eggs to help them pass because vaseline is not fluid enough.

 

[Jerseychickens]

I am having a chicken going through that right now. Would taking her to a vet help? I feel so bad for her and nothing is working After reading the posts, it seems to be slightly common. Is there anything to do to prevent this from happening?
Very sad