Egg Bound help needed

[marbles]

We have a 2 yr old hen with an egg stuck. He whole vent is bulging externally (we see/feel the egg here) and she can't push the egg out. She had a build up a poop around her vent over the last few weeks and we've noticed since cleaning her, that when she tries to poo, her vent bulges out like a frogs throat, and she can barely push the poop out.

A few months ago she malted very heavily - almost lost all her feathers. She looked quite desperate, but her feathers grew back fine. She tends to lay pretty large eggs - some double-yolkers. When we cleaned her up at the weekend, it looked like there was a small amount of some dried yellow yolk on the outside of her vent (egg break?).

In terms of health she seems fine. Eyes bright and red comb. She's eating and drinking, but we can now see deep red-coloured organs beginning to poke out of her vent (prolapsed vent?).

We've just bathed her in warm water and applied vaseline around the vent. We're going to separate her from the others and put out egg shell for her.

It's the first time we've had an unhealthy chicken, so not sure what to do next as I'm very doubtful she will push the egg out by herself. It looks like her muscles in the area are shot and everything is now just saggy and bulging.

We have tried to research and are not sure if it is:

Egg Binding
http://www.avianweb.com/eggbinding.html

or
Egg Yolk Peritonitis
http://www.avianweb.com/eggyolkperitonitis.html

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

With thanks!

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[CT]

You are already doing what I plan to do if my hen doesn't look better when I check her in an hour. Thank you for the links. My Della had egg goo and membrane hanging out of her vent this morning. I should have known something was wrong last night when I gave the flock a bedtime snack and she didn't come running. Fingers crossed for your hen and mine!

 

[myjunoli]

I've never had a problem with egg bound hens but this blog/website has a great post on it.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search/label/egg bound hen

 

[marbles]

Our lovely hen isn't doing too well today. Lethargic (sign of downhill stage). Drinking water but not eating. Constantly trying to push, but the egg won't come out.

The egg is lying side ways in the ballon which is sticking out of her . Has anyone had this before? We're trying to work out how to keep the egg upright so it can at least have a better chance of coming out pointy end down. It's almost like a breached baby.

Any help appreciated - I think we might lose her very soon if we can't help her.

(P.S. And to boot - one of our other 8 hens flew out of the coup today and seems to have disappeared which is very unlike her... Surely not two in one day after a year of no problems?)

 

[Summerlove]

I have heard the best thing to do is put the hen in a wire bottom cage, with a bucket of hot water underneath so the steam reaches her vent, but so that it doesn't burn her. Should help her pass it. Some people say you can give them a warm bath as well. Research see what will work for you.. I have never had this problem before. Hope she passes it.