Egg Bound.. Constipated hen?

[mseely]

So this morning I posted thinking my hen was egg bound. She's a buff orpington, a little over a year old. She's been acting strange, this morning she was very lethargic. Thinking she was egg bound I've been giving her baths, yogurt, tums, etc. to try and help get the egg out. Anyways I went to put some vaseline in her vent to help lubricate for an egg, and she took a huge explosive poop on me. And I mean explosive, it was very large. It smelled very bad,

I guess the good news is is that she isn't egg bound. However her comb is still very red, she's eating a little bit, and not wanting to drink water. What is my next move here? Do chickens get constipated? What else is there for me to do for her?

 

[mseely]

here's a picture of the massive poo.

 

[azygous]

Acting "strange" requires more elaboration. "Strange" might include flattening herself on a nest, not wanting to get off even to eat, and wanting to remain even at night instead of roosting. Is she rapidly clucking when you touch her? Does she puff up her feathers when you touch her and emit a screech while the feathers on her neck stand up?

That poop resembles a broody poop. If this hen has laid about a dozen eggs or more, she may be going into a hormonal change and becoming broody.

To be certain she hasn't got crop issues, she needs to be checked first thing in the morning to see if her crop has completely emptied overnight. If it's still full, even partially, she may have sour crop.

Here's a friendly bit of advice - try to stick with one thread on a topic, this one being a hen behaving strangely. You'll have more participation and continuity than if you start new threads.

 

[mseely]

Acting "strange" requires more elaboration. "Strange" might include flattening herself on a nest, not wanting to get off even to eat, and wanting to remain even at night instead of roosting. Is she rapidly clucking when you touch her? Does she puff up her feathers when you touch her and emit a screech while the feathers on her neck stand up?

That poop resembles a broody poop. If this hen has laid about a dozen eggs or more, she may be going into a hormonal change and becoming broody.

To be certain she hasn't got crop issues, she needs to be checked first thing in the morning to see if her crop has completely emptied overnight. If it's still full, even partially, she may have sour crop.

Here's a friendly bit of advice - try to stick with one thread on a topic, this one being a hen behaving strangely. You'll have more participation and continuity than if you start new threads.

Her crop was full last night and empty this morning. She already went broody this winter and does not have a clutch of eggs or anything. This is not broodiness because she doesn't want to sit on a nest, she just half stands there. She's been eating and drinking off and on. She's normally very active and friendly but she's having a hard time getting around and balancing. She did lay a shell-less egg about a week ago.

She's still flexing her abdomen/vent even after the massive poo. Her comb is very flushed and she's still having some balance issues. Still very lethargic too normally she's a curious hen when inside she likes to wander anywhere she can get to. She's been half closing her eyes which makes me nervous that she is getting worse. I

 

[azygous]

The shelless egg a week ago may be repeating itself, and they're harder to pass than hard shell eggs.

If you can rig a pet crate with a heating pad and moist bath towel over the pad, letting her rest for a few hours on this moist heat could help her get the egg out.

That she pooped is not solid proof she's not egg bound, the binding may be occurring farther back in the oviduct.

Give her another dose of calcium if she hasn't had any today, and let her rest undisturbed in a quiet dim place. Hopefully, she will pass the egg and feel better.

She could probably use some calcium therapy for a while. Tums is okay, but calcium citrate plus D3 has the extra clout to be more easily absorbed and correct a calcium imbalance.

If she continues to decline, I recommend starting her on an antibiotic in case she has an infection, whether associated with egg laying or not.

 

[mseely]

How much calcium should I be giving her? And thank you, I will try setting up a little crate for her

The shelless egg a week ago may be repeating itself, and they're harder to pass than hard shell eggs.

If you can rig a pet crate with a heating pad and moist bath towel over the pad, letting her rest for a few hours on this moist heat could help her get the egg out.

That she pooped is not solid proof she's not egg bound, the binding may be occurring farther back in the oviduct.

Give her another dose of calcium if she hasn't had any today, and let her rest undisturbed in a quiet dim place. Hopefully, she will pass the egg and feel better.

She could probably use some calcium therapy for a while. Tums is okay, but calcium citrate plus D3 has the extra clout to be more easily absorbed and correct a calcium imbalance.

If she continues to decline, I recommend starting her on an antibiotic in case she has an infection, whether associated with egg laying or not.

How much calcium should I be giving her? And thank you, I will try setting up a little crate for her.

 

[azygous]

You can give her a full 400mg tablet once a day, or break it in half and give it to her in two doses, morning and night, which would be better.

I crush the tablet with a hammer and mix it into something she likes. My hens take theirs in a dab of peanut butter.

 

[mseely]

She does not seem to be improving today, actually she seems worse. She can barely stand up. What else can I do for her? She has little interest in drinking or eating. Has been pooing more normally, still not a lot. Any ideas? Is she sick? Egg bound still? I have no idea

 

[azygous]

It isn't possible to diagnose her. All you can do it treat and hope something works to turn her around. Since nothing you've done so far has worked, it may be time to try an antibiotic. It's been my experience that a chicken in decline either has an infection or incurable tumors. The antibiotic may help if it's the first one, and if it's the second, it will become a higher possibility if there's no response to the antibiotic.

I usually use amoxicillin, but usually injectible penicillin can be obtained easily at a feed store if you haven't got any other antibiotic on hand.

Another thing you can try is a molasses flush. Mix a tablespoon of molasses into some very wet mash. This can help flush toxins. Do it for up to four days. You can add some coconut oil to this to help with any gizzard impaction.

 

[BuckeyeBirdies]

If you have any Nutri-Drench, you should give her a few drops of that. It would at least give her a boost in vitamins and electrolytes. Nutri-Drench has literally been a life saver for us many times. Best wishes with your girl.