Egg bound hen - I can feel the egg but can't see it, and have done all the things

[Cosmos_]

I have a new layer, only 2 eggs in, who is eggbound. I have given her electrolytes and fluids by crop feeding, as well as Ca Gluconate to help her pass the egg. I have given her a warm bath with epsom salts, and just gave her another one 15 minutes ago. I can feel the egg pushing up against the vent, but all I see is skin so I can't even try to extract it. I also put olive oil as far in her vent as I could, which wasn't very far b/c of the egg.

I have already given up hope pretty much, but I want to at least know for next time :'( She is already laboring pretty badly and is very weak.

Why can I feel the egg against the vent but it is still covered by skin? And what can I do about it for the future? This is the second time I've experienced this with a cream legbar, the first didn't make it 3 years ago when it happened. Is this common for cream legbars? I've only had two of this breed...but they seem bad luck.

Also, I feel comfortable with sucking out the insides of the egg and helping her pass it that way, but I can't because her inner skin is covering it.

 

[Kiki]

Please do not put anything else up her vent.
Are you seeing a prolapse?
Can you take a picture of what her rear end looks like right now?

 

[LaFleche]

Giving her calcium citrate 600+D3 works faster and better and will help with the contractions.

Have her sit on a warm water bottle covered with a humid, warm terrycloth in a dark and quiet area to help relax in between the warm epsom salt baths.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Will the Epson salts not dry her up rather them keep her moist to help the egg out ?
I was told warm baths but never told about Epson salt
My fingers are crossed she lays soon so you don’t loose her

 

[Cosmos_]

She died a couple hours later. I knew it was likely...Thank you for the suggestions. I don't know if she was just too weak to lay, perhaps from being bullied and becoming dehydrated. Its just so hard to tell when one day they're fine, and then next something is obviously wrong.

Please do not put anything else up her vent.
Are you seeing a prolapse?
Can you take a picture of what her rear end looks like right now?

There was no prolapse, and nothing visible. Only palpating gently could I tell the egg was at the vent, otherwise she looked normal.

Giving her calcium citrate 600+D3 works faster and better and will help with the contractions.

Have her sit on a warm water bottle covered with a humid, warm terrycloth in a dark and quiet area to help relax in between the warm epsom salt baths.

Could you tell me how you would give that? A crushed up capsule? A liquid supplement you would recommend? I can crop feed/syringe, but also want to learn to give subQ on a chicken. I did plenty for mice so nothing new.

Will the Epson salts not dry her up rather them keep her moist to help the egg out ?
I was told warm baths but never told about Epson salt
My fingers are crossed she lays soon so you don’t loose her

That's a good point. I have read both - the salts were supposed to help her relax too, but I guess also counterintuitive if you want the contractions??

 

[LaFleche]

I am sorry you lost her

Could you tell me how you would give that? A crushed up capsule? A liquid supplement you would recommend? I can crop feed/syringe, but also want to learn to give subQ on a chicken. I did plenty for mice so nothing new.

Just sit the bird on your lap head facing forward.
Then pull down on the wattles with one hand which will have it open its beak, and quickly slip the tablet/capsule inside and immediately let go of the wattles, so the bird can swallow properly.

 

[LaFleche]

Will the Epson salts not dry her up rather them keep her moist to help the egg out ?
I was told warm baths but never told about Epson salt
My fingers are crossed she lays soon so you don’t loose her

The epsom salts will help to relax the muscles of the hens back and abdomen that very often are already cramped up from the fruitless efforts to get the stuck egg moving farther along.

That's a good point. I have read both - the salts were supposed to help her relax too, but I guess also counterintuitive if you want the contractions??

The additional calcium will help to make the contractions more efficient.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

She died a couple hours later. I knew it was likely...Thank you for the suggestions. I don't know if she was just too weak to lay, perhaps from being bullied and becoming dehydrated. Its just so hard to tell when one day they're fine, and then next something is obviously wrong.

There was no prolapse, and nothing visible. Only palpating gently could I tell the egg was at the vent, otherwise she looked normal.


Could you tell me how you would give that? A crushed up capsule? A liquid supplement you would recommend? I can crop feed/syringe, but also want to learn to give subQ on a chicken. I did plenty for mice so nothing new.


That's a good point. I have read both - the salts were supposed to help her relax too, but I guess also counterintuitive if you want the contractions??

So sorry to hear you lost her
It’s very heartbreaking to loose our pets

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

The epsom salts will help to relax the muscles of the hens back and abdomen that very often are already cramped up from the fruitless efforts to get the stuck egg moving farther along.

The additional calcium will help to make the contractions more efficient.

Thank you
I just had never heard the Epson salts for egg bond before