Egg Binding - How to Tell?

[C&C Chickens]

Our Polish Bantum has been under the weather for the past two days (standing still, not eating or drinking but not drooping either, lungs/eyes clear) and we are wondering if she has egg binding (she is about 4-5 months old, not laying yet). The books say to massage her abdomen - where exactly is that? and massage her vent with oil. Any one have any advice?

 

[birdparadise]

The abdomen is the soft area in front of and below the vent. Do you have other chicks of the same age and are they laying yet? The first egg is usually very small in comparison to the rest so it will be very hard to feel whether there is one in there or not; but if you can compare her to another similar hen who has recently laid an egg (say within the last 6 hours or so) you may be able to tell the difference between the two (egg in cloaca-no egg in cloaca). It is helpful if she is in a warm humid environment if she is egg-bound.