Egg bound!! FINAL UPDATE 10:30 3/3am ******* PICS!!! pg 3 ***********

[hawtchick]

so I soaked her and tried my best to lube her vent with olive oil (all I had). I think I feel the egg right at the vent hole, but no luck. She had runny poo, but I got her cleaned up good and her vent looks good at this point. Not red or prolapsed...thank god.
I put her back in the kennel and am going to put her near the wood stove so she can dry off.
She did start getting mad at me towards the end, which is why she only soaked about 35-40 min.
I also gave her some water with the syringe and she did eat a bite of scrambles egg. S

She looks mad at me for violating her. I guess I don't blame her.
My 5 year old got a world of education too.

 

[Texgran]

I have never dealt with egg-lock. Concerning the calcium, for dogs one can give them tums, works for humans as well. Someone smarter than I would have to tell you if tums are okay for chickens. Good luck with your hen.

 

[gordy123]

good job there! dont forget bread and milk! Calcium is an important part of a chickens ability to successful laying. someone had told us they dont need calcium in the winter cause they dont lay...but with what happened to my Stella chicken when they do start to lay again they need calcium. We put oyster shell mixed with their food now, and offer the bread and milk, eggs with milk, cheese bout 3 times per week just to make sure. you may have to try and soak her again tomorrow if she has not passed the egg. just make sure you keep her eating and drinking and get that calcium into her. cant stress it enough. i'm proud of ya, takes a lot to violate a beloved chicken.

 

[hawtchick]

ok, I gave her the milk soaked bread. She didn't eat, but drink drink a bit of milk.
All she does is stand, and look puffed up.
Her crop is very full too.????

Is there a video out there showing how to remove an egg? I looked without any success.

Thanks

 

[chickenlady]

I would probably suspect impacted crop before I would egg bound. The best way to figure that one out is to cut off her food tonight and check her crop first thing in the morning. If it is empty, no crop problem, if still full, crop problem.

I'm still not entirely sure why you think egg bound just because of poop.

Since you have had her inside, has she pooped at all? What does it look like? If there is an egg blocking the path, she will not be able to poop.

 

[hawtchick]

she has been pooping, but it is very runny. Not usual at all. I have cut off all solids except for milk/oil soaked bread.
She has been sipping some of the milk/oil from the bread which she wasn't doing before.
Maybe it is her crop. It is pretty firm and the size of half a tennis ball.
What else should I be doing???

I hate to think I violated my poor hen for no reason, but I swear I feel an egg there...

 

[chicklady63]

If you like you can make a homemade electrolyte solution of: 1/3 teaspoon of potassion chloride (salt substitute), 1/2 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), 1 whole teaspoon of sodium chloride (table salt) in 1 quart of water. You want to give 1 teaspoon per gallon of water for at least a week. Use it exclusively in place of regular drinking water.
Electrolytes are calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosperous, potassium & sodium. You mention you gave her some electrolytes. There should be calcium (chloride) in there.
I go this info from the Gail Damerow book: The Chicken Health Handbook - a good one to have.
Good luck with your hen.

 

[hawtchick]

She is sleeping. I guess that's good. She is laying down too which she hasn't done all day. I pray that she rests and her crop goes down, but I told her I hopes she passes in her sleep if that is her fate.
Poor little girl.
I give them grit, free choice and also in their feeding dish with their grain.
I will post more tomorrow unless something else happens tonight.
Thank you all.

Jess

 

[gordy123]

hawtchick, how did you make out with your hen? I hope she made it! I've been lookin for an update today and seen nothing yet! I hope she is OK.

 

[hawtchick]

########FINAL UPDATE#############################


Sorry! I didn't have time to post when I saw her this morning, then had to drive the school bus......
Anyhow, She is great!!!!
I went down to see her first thing, and I could not believe my eyes!!!

She had laid THE MOST enormous egg we have had a chicken lay here and one soft shell egg.

She was up and clucking and very hungry since I kept her food out.
Her crop was down and I fed her milk soaked bread and her pellets and she inhaled the milk bread!!!!

I guess I didn't violate her for nothing, but I wonder if I helped her or if she would have laid it eventually. It was pretty nasty looking.

Thanks everyone for helping my girl.
She happily rejoined the flock a bit ago.....no room service, but happy!!

I will post a pic of the eggs soon.

Jess