Hi all! I'm after some help for my rescue chicken Mavis.... she is 3 1/2 years old, and has started laying MASSIVE eggs... she laid one on Sunday, then immediately had lots of blood pouring from her vent (isolated her, it stopped bleeding and she seemed happy, gave her a bath, all was well). Another intact gigantic egg (with blood smear on it) today, and poor Mavis was again very bloody, and now is still straining and pushing to almost prolapse... it doesn't look like she can poop, but I've given her another bath, cleaned her up, and double checked there is no obstruction in her vent (plus she laid an unbroken giant egg this morning)... she is otherwise still 'happy' (scratching, eating & drinking). I have again isolated her, but don't know what to do if these huge eggs keep coming, she'll turn herself inside out! I'm going to try to upload a video so you can see what's happening (edit - it'll only let me put a pic, anyone know how to post a video?)..... advice/help please????!!!!
Welcome to BYC. Check to make sure that she is getting enough calcium (layer feed plus crushed oyster shell free fed) and not suffering from internal laying or infection. Aside from stopping her from laying with hormone (delorelin or suprelorin) implants or spaying, I am not aware of anything else that you can do. Egg binding can be a very common problem in hens who have been bred to lay huge eggs. You might try to contact an avian vet who might do this. Here is a good link to read about egg binding and hormone implants: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/07/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms.html https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...tops-hens-with-egg-peritonitis-laying-anymore
I agree with using suprelorin if you are willing to spend that much on her, it cured my chicken who had egg yolk peritonitis because it stops them from laying for a while. I have also read somewhere that baytril causes infertility? I am not 100% sure on this though
As a temporary measure you might want to put her in the dark for a few days-week. Place her in a cardboard box or covered cage and just give her a couple of hours of daylight a day to eat and drink and exercise That should stop her egg production temporarily and allow her to heal but there will be eggs still in her system which need to come out so she will continue to lay for a day or two regardless. Unfortunately as she gets older the eggs will get larger and there is not a lot that can be done to prevent that other than perhaps hormonal treatment or neutering as has been suggested. Good luck with her.
