Egg bound chicken??

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She hasn't laid an egg in about a week. She is a 15 month old Rhode Island Red. Her comb is pale and her beak ks open. Its been getting hotter in our area, shes not talking and looks stunned. She jjst plopped herself into the nestbox jist now. Help is this egg binding??

 

[boskelli1571]

If it's been going on for a week or so, I doubt it's egg binding. To check for sure, insert a lubricated, gloved finger into her vent gently. Go straight back for about 2 inches - if you can't feel anything, she isn't egg bound. She sounds sick tho' - is she eating/drinking/pooping? Does she have access to shade and cool water, does she have any lice/mites? Any more info you can give is helpful....

 

[SCOUT123]

If it's been going on for a week or so, I doubt it's egg binding. To check for sure, insert a lubricated, gloved finger into her vent gently. Go straight back for about 2 inches - if you can't feel anything, she isn't egg bound. She sounds sick tho' - is she eating/drinking/pooping? Does she have access to shade and cool water, does she have any lice/mites? Any more info you can give is helpful....

At first, I couldn't find her. I called for about 5 minutes before I looked under the deck and found her, unresponsive. She did end up coming out, but her comb was very pale and she was panting and not talking. I thought she had heat stroke at first, so i dipped her into cold water and patted her wings with water. Then she jumped out and marched straight to the nestbox, where she lay/sat for more than an hour. I tried to soak her to see if she was eggbound, but she just wandered around listlessly and later just went back to the nestbox. Help!! This is a very special pet chicken that means a lot to me. She didn't seem very interested in any food but raisins - and her poop was milky white.

 

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Oh, and before she stopped laying my mom noticed that both my chickens' eggs weren't as hard-shelled as before.

 

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Clarification: She started showing symptoms just today, not an entire week. She hasn't laid an egg for a week, but otherwise seemed fine until today.

 

[boskelli1571]

Clarification: She started showing symptoms just today, not an entire week. She hasn't laid an egg for a week, but otherwise seemed fine until today.

Ok - thanks. You need to check her internally for a stuck egg. If you can't find one, you have ruled out egg binding. The white poop could be indicative of vent gleet. Have you been to the Learning center tab? There is a good article on vent gleet and how to treat.
Keep her separate for now, give her vitamins in the water and feed her what she will eat.. Let us know what you find please....

 

[SCOUT123]

Ok - thanks. You need to check her internally for a stuck egg. If you can't find one, you have ruled out egg binding. The white poop could be indicative of vent gleet. Have you been to the Learning center tab? There is a good article on vent gleet and how to treat.
 Keep her separate for now, give her vitamins in the water and feed her what she will eat..  Let us know what you find please....

Thanks! She is clucking and looks normal today, but still no egg. And her comb is very orange. I will checkfor the egg now..

 

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Now she's listless and silent again - she will still eat but is slower to respond. She won't cluck, either. Her poop is normal. What could this be? Help!!
Also, is there any other way to check for a stuck egg? (I don't really trust myself with the vent method)

 

[boskelli1571]

Now she's listless and silent again - she will still eat but is slower to respond. She won't cluck, either. Her poop is normal. What could this be? Help!!
Also, is there any other way to check for a stuck egg? (I don't really trust myself with the vent method)

Sorry - other than a vet doing it, there's no other way to check. It really is quite easy, just go slowly. She certainly sounds sick, I wish there was an easy way to 'diagnose' chickens with problems! Are you able to take her to a vet? How does she look? Depressed? tatty? hunched up? any of those would indicate a significant problem...sorry I can't be more helpful.