Egg bound and a little bulge

[Sammy Sam]

i believe my 20 week hen is trying to lay her first egg and she’s egg bound. I soaked her in an epson salt bath for 20 minutes and then used olive oil around her vent. She’s in a dark crate resting now. While I was putting the olive oil on her vent, there was a small bulge, maybe a 1/4-1/2”. Does that mean she’s prolapsed too? What are my next steps? Also my son said she pooped when I lifted her up(out of the coop to soak) and I thought I read they don’t poop when they’re egg bound? Either way I really need advice from people who have delt with egg bound hens.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes the cloaca can come outside the vent slightly when they are straining, and then go back inside. Do you have any pictures of the vent? Do you have any calcium or Tums that you can give orally? They can swallow it. That can help with muscle contraction if one is trying to lay an egg.

 

[Sammy Sam]

I have some powder calcium carbonate and I also have tums. Which would be better and how much? No photo and it did feel like it went back in, then out again.

 

[Eggcessive]

Dosage is 600 mg calcium once a day given orally.

 

[Sammy Sam]

Not the best picture of her vent, but I believe that’s the bulge I felt. Is that bulge normal, that area didn’t seem to look bad at all. Last night she wouldn’t eat her tums. I crushed some up with some food and she only ate a couple of bites. This morning no egg, but she looked good and her tail was up. Two poops in her crate with one having lots of liquid around the poop. I just moved her back outside, but I’ll keep watching her.

 

[Eggcessive]

If she is passing droppings, I would not worry. Chickens can and will swallow tablets. Calcium citrate with vitamin D tablets 300 to 600 mg can be put directly into her beak to swallow. Put it back into the beak and she will swallow it. Tums may be split in half and given the same way. The swelling may be normal for her.

 

[Sammy Sam]

Thank you all for helping me! Suzzie laid her first egg today! It’s so tiny, but we usually buy large eggs.