Egg Bound Hen

[emilieseggs]

Earlier this week, I found that two of my chickens are egg bound. I had adopted them, and I believe that the rehoming caused them to be stressed which caused the egg bound. Through treatment (calcium boot + epsom salt bath), one of the chickens passed her egg. However, after a calcium boost + 3 soakings in an epsom salt bath, the other chicken still has not passed her egg. I also massaged her abdomen to assist the oviduct system to move the egg. I can actually feel the bound egg when I palpate below her vent. What should I do?

Also, for the hen that did pass her bound egg, how long should I expect before she starts laying again?

 

[azygous]

Hopefully, the second hen has passed the stubborn egg by now. How long has she been in the stuck mode?

If it's day two, that isn't so unusual. Some eggs can take up to three days to work loose. You need to dose her with a calcium supplement of a minimum of 400mg, preferably with D3 and minerals included each day she's in distress.

It's essential that your hen continues to be well hydrated for her tissues to remain supple. It wouldn't hurt to lubricate the inside of her vent so the egg can pass more easily. After a warm soak, continued moist heat on a heating pad covered with a damp towel can help. A quiet spot with no activity will also contribute to your hen being relaxed enough to get the egg out.

Most of the hens I've helped through a stuck egg event have begun to lay again right away. It depends on whether or not the egg ended up breaking inside, causing conditions for infection to take hold. Once infection occurs in the reproductive track, the prospect for a layer to resume her egg career seriously diminishes.

 

[aart]

Same bird as here?:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/young-layer-has-not-laid-for-4-days.1313742/

 

[emilieseggs]

Same bird as here?:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/young-layer-has-not-laid-for-4-days.1313742/

No, that chicken laid yesterday. This is a different one.

 

[emilieseggs]

Hopefully, the second hen has passed the stubborn egg by now. How long has she been in the stuck mode?

If it's day two, that isn't so unusual. Some eggs can take up to three days to work loose. You need to dose her with a calcium supplement of a minimum of 400mg, preferably with D3 and minerals included each day she's in distress.

It's essential that your hen continues to be well hydrated for her tissues to remain supple. It wouldn't hurt to lubricate the inside of her vent so the egg can pass more easily. After a warm soak, continued moist heat on a heating pad covered with a damp towel can help. A quiet spot with no activity will also contribute to your hen being relaxed enough to get the egg out.

Most of the hens I've helped through a stuck egg event have begun to lay again right away. It depends on whether or not the egg ended up breaking inside, causing conditions for infection to take hold. Once infection occurs in the reproductive track, the prospect for a layer to resume her egg career seriously diminishes.

Thank you! That was extremely helpful. I will try another calcium boost and soaking. This is the third day for her being bound. I have not yet lubricated her vent, so I will do that, as well.

 

[emilieseggs]

Hopefully, the second hen has passed the stubborn egg by now. How long has she been in the stuck mode?

If it's day two, that isn't so unusual. Some eggs can take up to three days to work loose. You need to dose her with a calcium supplement of a minimum of 400mg, preferably with D3 and minerals included each day she's in distress.

It's essential that your hen continues to be well hydrated for her tissues to remain supple. It wouldn't hurt to lubricate the inside of her vent so the egg can pass more easily. After a warm soak, continued moist heat on a heating pad covered with a damp towel can help. A quiet spot with no activity will also contribute to your hen being relaxed enough to get the egg out.

Most of the hens I've helped through a stuck egg event have begun to lay again right away. It depends on whether or not the egg ended up breaking inside, causing conditions for infection to take hold. Once infection occurs in the reproductive track, the prospect for a layer to resume her egg career seriously diminishes.

I'm sorry, I realized that I forgot to answer your other question. It has been in stuck mode for nearly 4 weeks. I adopted her, and was thinking that she was simply still adjusting to the move. I feel terribly, as if I would have considered egg boundness from the start I would have initiated treatment right away.

 

[azygous]

I've never heard of a hen being egg bound for a month! Can you post a pic of her. I'd like to see what her posture is telling us.

Can you actually feel the contours of an egg? Is it close enough to the cloaca to see it?

 

[emilieseggs]

I've never heard of a hen being egg bound for a month! Can you post a pic of her. I'd like to see what her posture is telling us.

Can you actually feel the contours of an egg? Is it close enough to the cloaca to see it?

I have attached a photo of her posture. The reason that I suspected her being bound was because she had not laid since I adopted her, had a very "poopy" butt in the feathers under her vent, and when I palpated, I was able to feel the egg.

I am not able to see it, however, I may be able to feel it if I were to reach into her vent.

I have also attached a photo from after the second time that I soaked her. It might not say much, but I have my hand around the egg.

 

[aldarita]

Could it be that your hen has egg peritonitis? 4 weeks is way too long for an egg to be bound. Some times when the abdomen is distended due to EP it feels very hard, you might be confusing the hardness as it being an egg. You said your hen has runny poop which is also another symptom of EP.