Do hens still lay if they are hurt or is my hen egg bound?

[TrufflesTheChic]

My hen was attacked by a rooster and her wing was hurt and bloody. So I've been keeping her up for the past 2-3 days. I've noticed she hasn't laid any eggs and she is starting to molt as well (not sure if that can affect laying or not). So, today I felt her vent and it feels like an egg is stuck in there. Was she supposed to be laying still and this egg has been stuck the whole time or am I just over reacting and the egg will come out on its own?

 

[Judy]

It's hard to say, with all that going on at once. They will usually stop laying when molting. They can also stop because of any stress, such as an injury. Further, stress can trigger a molt. But, since you seem to feel an egg, I would go ahead and handle her as if she were eggbound, give her warm baths, keep in a darkened place where she can rest, etc. You could certainly check her, just lubricate a gloved finger and fel inside. For one thing, it takes a few days for the egg to form and travel outside, so while she may have stopped producing eggs for the moment, she may have two or three in there she needs to pass, that had already started working their way out. Good luck!