BirdRN
Chirping
Hi, I have lost two of my hens within the last 3 months from being egg bound. One was a Buff Orpington and the other a Red Star. I researched this website and believe this is what happened to them. They eat normal chicken feed, for laying hens, bought from Tractor Supply. Plus I occasionally give them corn scraps and dried worms. Is there a vitamin or mineral I should supplement them with? These are my girls and we were pretty upset with the loss. Any advise would be appreciated.
. It sounds a little like internal laying or ascites to me, which is unfortunately more common in those types of breeds. I've had a buff, what I believe was a golden commet, and two production reds pass from it myself. Ascites and internal laying are very similar in symptoms, from what I've seen they are swollen tight or squishy abdomen, respiratory distress, liquid or green stools, puking water or fluid. And a stop or decline of egg production. The fluid is either egg yolks that continue to drop into the body cavity, or ascites fluid that is caused by cancer or organ failure. In both cases the fluid builds up in the body cavity, putting pressure on organs, the hen can reabsorb some fluid, and they often lose weight to make room for the fluid. But eventually it is fatal. There's no known cure for it, but you can give them some relief by draining them with a syringe. This isn't a cure but it gives them great relief and can prolong their life. It depends on the bird, but some can live a long and happy life with it, here's an account of my last girl if you think this is what your hen may have. I'll post it bellow. Hope this was helpful, I'm sorry about your hens. This may not be what they had, but it's something to think about. Ps the pressure on her insides could have warped and made that egg stuck inside her, just a speculation but I thought I should mention it.
