Egg bound hen

[chickiesinhawaii]

Hi Everyone,
I am new to this forum and actually joined because one of my 3 chickies became egg bound and I'm needing some after care advice. I apologize in advance for the very long post.

It's the first time I've tried to treat an egg bound chicken. You could see the empty egg shell (which was soft and leathery) hanging out but it was stuck inside her. I gave her part of a ground up calcium pill, did a 15-20 min Epsom salt soak 2x (with slight massage), lubed her vent outside and just inside with petroleum jelly, and then gently reached in with a finger and guided the egg shell out. Miraculously it seemed to work. It came out followed by some goop. I felt around in her vent about and inch deep to make sure I got all the pieces and it felt like I did.

I dried her off best I could and then set her in a box with a lamp to keep her warm. It's been about 6 hours she pooped once and looks like she ate a bit of the banana I offered her. Not sure about the water or the scratch. She looks a little better and seems more comfortable.

However, she is still acting lethargic and is standing under the light, refusing to sit. When I lifted her up and inspect around her vent it still seems to pulse as if she wants to lay an egg. Is this normal after something like this? Is a pulsing vent a normal response to getting touched in that area? I'm not sure how long this went on. We just came back from vacation and when we first saw her yesterday morning she seemed ill (I don't think the house sitter noticed). Is it possible for her to have another egg stuck inside her. I didn't feel anything when I checked for egg shells but I only reached in about and inch. Also, what does it feel like? I did feel a little resistance at an inch but nothing hard like a proper egg shell. She is an older chicken and doesn't really lay much these days. What is the best treatment or course of action at this time. Is there something I can do to help her recover? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Aloha,
Christine

 

[micstrachan]

Was the rubbery shell intact? I think she may have some left to pass. Calcium and warmth are good. Can you set her on a heating pad with a damp towel over it or give her a warm Epsom salt bath?

 

[Shezadandy]

Have a look at this site too:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms/

 

[Shezadandy]

Also- the pulsing vent is what they do all day every day.

BUT since she's just been through, it could be that she feels like she needs to keep pushing even though you've (hopefully) gotten the debris out.

Do you have some preparation H or hydrocortisone cream -- NO PAIN RELIEF- only the "Original" products. That will help take the tissue swelling down and might help her not want to push. The tissue swelling itself could be stimulating her to continue to push which can land you with a prolapsed vent.

 

[rebrascora]

Firstly I would not give her scratch or the banana. Laying problems can stem from a dietary imbalance and those treats will not help her situation. Give her a mash made with her regular layer feed and water. We all know they love scratch but it really can cause significant health problems and is not worth the risk or should be very severely limited if used.
Yes it is possible that there is another soft shelled egg in there and that can make them keep straining and the vent pulse and if it is shell less you will probably not feel it during an internal exam. I would continue to give her calcium supplementation and keep her isolated in a semi dark box or cage and give electrolytes in the water. This way you can monitor her poop and keep an eye out for another egg. Do be careful with a heat source if you are in a warm climate. Too much heat can be more dangerous than not providing any, so check her posture for overheating regularly if you provide heat and as others have said a heat pad is preferable to a light.

 

[April’s Zoo]

I would continue to give her calcium supplementation and keep her isolated in a semi dark box or cage and give electrolytes in the water. This way you can monitor her poop and keep an eye out for another egg. Do be careful with a heat source if you are in a warm climate. Too much heat can be more dangerous than not providing any, so check her posture for overheating regularly if you provide heat and as others have said a heat pad is preferable to a light.

You can give the calcium pill once a day until she lays a normal egg ... if she lays another soft egg, double the calcium for at least a couple days or until she lays a shelled egg.

The calcium has the added benefit of helping muscles contract (and relax), so it will help to alleviate any spasming in her vent. The prep H is preferable to hydrocortisone for relieving swelling in the tissues of the vent. The tissue can swell slightly in response to your probing, as well as her pushing, and as was mentioned, it can progress to full prolapse.

Putting a heating pad under her will help with the spasms also, but be sure the box you have her in is big enough for her to move off of it if she’s getting overheated.

 

[chickiesinhawaii]

Thanks everyone for the good advice this really is a great resource! Here's an update on her condition. I kept her inside overnight. I turned off the light but put a towel over the box to keep her warm (I didn't have a heating pad). The next day she looked a thousand times better and it was poop-mageddon in the box...lol. I put her back outside and she seems fine. However, upon closer inspection I noticed she has no interest in the layer feed and only likes to eat the grass in her area. I ground up a calcium pill to put in her food but will get some different layer feed for her when I go to town next week and supplement her calcium with a ground up calcium pill until then.

She's an older hen, probably about 7 or 8 years old and was never a great layer. (Since we only have a few backyard chickens everyone gets to die of old age...lol). I didn't think she was still laying eggs but I guess it's hard to know since she has a roommate in her pen. Until recently they were completely free range but we live in a rural area and people don't tie up their dogs and recently 3 or 4 of our chickies got killed by loose dogs so now they are in a moveable pen that keeps them safe but gives them fresh pasture each day or two.

They have never been that interested in the layer feed but I didn't worry too much about it since they seemed to find lots of things to eat on their own and we often gave them kitchen scraps. But, it sounds like I need to get them to eat the layer feed more regularly. Is there a type of feed that you would recommend? Our choices are limited here in Volcano but there are a couple of brands available at the feed store that I can try. What kind of layer feed do your girls like? Thanks again!
Aloha,
Christine