D’Uccle Hen Acting Egg Bound, but I think it’s something else

[Jkpeterson1362]

My bantam hen (Lil Blessins) began acting like she was egg bound a couple weeks ago. She would squat, visibly strain (only small ants of poop would come out) and squack like she was in pain. Any time I would glove up and examine her vent I wasnt able to get very far because she would begin to push really hard and I could see a lot of poop stuck. I did the epsom salt baths for the past couple days and she passed A LOT of poop which led me to believe she was constipated and not egg bound. The problem is she is still straining and squatting and not passing normal poop. I checked her vent last night and I can get most my pinkie in but there seems to be no egg ? The only thing I can feel are really hard, small, pebble sized “things” along her vent. Is this normal? I have no idea what they are. I just don’t know what to do with her at this point

 

[azygous]

Have you given her any oil? It does sound like constipation or a blocked crop or gizzard.

Have you examined her crop? Is it full and hard and lumpy? Or full and squishy? Have you checked it in the morning before she has had food and water? It should be empty. If not, you will need to treat.

Meanwhile, I would give a teaspoon of oil, mineral or coconut or olive oil. Repeat in an hour. If she hasn't pooped a good amount after two introductions of oil, you may want to try a stool softener.

 

[Jkpeterson1362]

Her crop didn’t seem very full this morning, but I will check again first thing tomorrow morning. We have been oiling up the vent area, but I will give her some oil orally here soon.

Update: during the epsom bath just now she was straining and I could see what she was trying to pass. I pulled out what I could see and some of it was the super hard “things” I could feel earlier.
After I pulled it out she pushed out couple more good sized poops and what looks like broken egg shells came out. I attached a picture of what we pulled out. Honest I think they were egg shells that might have broken inside her? What do you guys think?

I heard a hen can’t be egg bound for more than 48 hours, but mine has been like this for a couple week? That’s why I assumed she wasn’t egg bound

 

[azygous]

A photo can make big difference in the diagnosis. That material is pus from an infection in the reproductive track called salpingitis. Up front I will admit that curing it is a long shot. But I've had hens live out a reasonably normal additional year or more after treatment with an antibiotic.

I don't see any egg shell, but on the chance she has some in her reproductive track, I recommend calcium for a couple days to help her pass the foreign material. I use calcium citrate 400mg, one tablet per day.

Do you have any antibiotics on hand? I use amoxicillin. I buy Fish Mox here. https://www.revivalanimal.com/product/fish-mox?sku=22150-174

 

[Jkpeterson1362]

Ok I ordered some of that Fish Mox and will give it to her as soon as it arrives.

Until then we will give her the calcium tablets.

Thanks for your help!