dead hen- egg bound? Help me understand what happened...

[TeamChaos]

My two year old RIR hen, Lucy was out and about this morning, but this evening I found her sitting on a nest while everyone else gobbled up peas... that is NOT like Lucy! I picked her up and it was clear that something was really wrong with her. I brought her down to the house, rinsed her butt and used vaseline to check what was going on back there. I could feel a big egg but there was a membrane around it. She wasn't prolapsed- the egg was not sticking OUT of her body. I tried to move the egg, but I could feel that it was trapped in a membrane of sorts. Unfortunately, Lucy passed away in my arms. I cannot cut into her to see for myself because my daughter has specifically asked me not to, and I can respect that. Please, any insight will be appreciated!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Yes, eggbound. Sometimes the egg goes around a corner in the oviduct and for some reason catches the flesh there. I lost one the same way, I could feel the egg but I was afraid to do too much because I didn't want to hurt her more than she was already hurting. I knew she was going to die and I was trying to race the clock, the clock won. Sorry for your loss.

 

[TeamChaos]

Lacy- thank you so much for your response and for sharing your experience. Man, it sucks. I was racing the clock too and could feel the flesh around the egg and I just knew that if I pulled it out she'd die a much more terrible death. For future knowledge, is there anything to do when an egg "goes around the corner" so to speak? There was no pushing this one back either, I thought maybe I could wiggle it in such a way as to free it but no dice.

 

[seminolewind]

 

[dkosh]

She may have been an internal layer. I just had one that I posted pictures of yesterday in this forum. The pictures are graphic but interesting. Sorry for your loss.

 

[chickenwhispererjf]

I am sooo sad, my favorite chicken Cluck died this morning, She was fine, running and eating and then I found her behind a tree DEAD. It looked as though her whole rear end had "come out" and was just hanging there. I didn't think she was egg bound but what else could it be? She died within an hour of feeling good and tearing around her chicken run. I am so sad, I can't even think straight, she was only 1 yr old.