Egg bound hen with damaged vent

[rayrose]

Give her a FULL calcium tablet. It will help with the contractions.
I know it's a big pill, but she'll swallow it whole. Just pull on her
wattles and she'll open her mouth, then shove it in.
If you have a syringe, shoot some mineral oil or substitute, fully inside her vent. Also lubricate her vent generously with the oil. This will help her pass the egg.

 

[casportpony]

Any possibility of making a small cut on each side of her vent ? Sort of like an episiotomy ? Would definitely be a two person job. She's just healed up 'too small'.

Interesting idea, and I have thought about this too, but I worry about cutting too much and exposing the abdominal cavity.

 

[sourland]

Interesting idea, and I have thought about this too, but I worry about cutting too much and exposing the abdominal cavity.

Getting the egg OUT right now is a priority, but a long term solution needs to be found. I'm really not certain how tight the vent is or how much would need to be cut. If it were a dog with a prolapsed penis, I would know exactly what to do, but have never been faced with a similar problem in a bird.

 

[DobieLover]

Any possibility of making a small cut on each side of her vent ? Sort of like an episiotomy ? Would definitely be a two person job. She's just healed up 'too small'.

And as you know I don't have a second person. Where would I cut? I don't know if I can do this.

 

[casportpony]

Getting the egg OUT right now is a priority, but a long term solution needs to be found. I'm really not certain how tight the vent is or how much would need to be cut. If it were a dog with a prolapsed penis, I would know exactly what to do, but have never been faced with a similar problem in a bird.

I agree, the egg needs to come out ASAP. If she were my hen I would poke a hole, suck out the contents, collapse the shell, & remove the shell. Once the shell was out I would start her on Baytril for infection and Meloxicam for pain and swelling, and I would tube a bunch of fluids to her too.

 

[sourland]

I agree, the egg needs to come out ASAP. If she were my hen I would poke a hole, suck out the contents, collapse the shell, & remove the shell. Once the shell was out I would start her on Baytril for infection and Meloxicam for pain and swelling, and I would tube a bunch of fluids to her too.

I'd choose this as the immediate course of action. 'Modifying' the vent could be put off for a bit.

 

[Painted Calls]

I'd choose this as the immediate course of action. 'Modifying' the vent could be put off for a bit.

Agreed.

 

[Painted Calls]

Get that egg out ASAP Dobie. We will be here to follow along and help along the way if needed.

Worry about the after, after. Just worry about getting the egg out right now.

 

[bruceha2000]

I've got no experience in such things but I would guess that the likelihood of getting egg back up in the tract would be less of a problem here than with an egg broken well before it got to the vent especially if you are able to get most of the contents out via suction.

I don't know how one would accomplish it but I wonder if one could "suction cup" onto the end of the egg it could be helped out.

Good luck Dobie.

 

[DobieLover]

It's out. We are both recovering. I'll check my med stash for meloxicam. In the meantime she's had amoxicillin. She's a large hen. Over 7 lbs. I gave her 500 mg.
She ate some wet mash.
I broke a small hole in the end and sucked out as much as I could. I made a very dilute solution of betadine in water and irrigated her as I went to flush out egg and poop. Then reached in and carefully broke the rest of the shell and pulled it out in about three sections. I irrigated her again with more dilute betadine solution and then followed up with several irrigations of just clean water.
This is what her vent looks like now.

She's resting next to the wood stove.