?Egg bound hen

[Crankkt]

I have 12 hens and 1 rooster. They are in an 80 square feet coop and 160 square feet run (weather here has been terrible lately so they don't use it much).

They were all hatched throughout the year. They are mostly barnyard mixes with some orpingtons and ameraucanas.

The 3 oldest (hatched in the spring) were the only ones laying regularly.

Since October, one of the 3 hens stopped laying. The weather got considerably colder and the days were growing shorter so I thought that may be the reason.

Red behaved normally so I thought she was off laying for the winter. But yesterday morning I seen her in the nesting box. I was on my way to work so only had a couple minutes to stay. She was making quiet straining noises and fidgeting around (similar to the other 2 when they lay). When I came home there was no egg in that nesting box.

Today I found her again in the nesting box and you could see her tail moving and she would close her eyes and strain. I went back out an hour later to find her out of the box and again no egg.

I picked her up last night and gave her an overall inspection. Her vent is not inflamed and there is no swelling in her abdomen. She appears to be fine.

Could she be egg bound? Why would she go through the motions of laying an egg two days in a row? (It could be more but that is all I have observed)

 

[The-White-Elephant]

I have 12 hens and 1 rooster. They are in an 80 square feet coop and 160 square feet run (weather here has been terrible lately so they don't use it much).

They were all hatched throughout the year. They are mostly barnyard mixes with some orpingtons and ameraucanas.

The 3 oldest (hatched in the spring) were the only ones laying regularly.

Since October, one of the 3 hens stopped laying. The weather got considerably colder and the days were growing shorter so I thought that may be the reason.

Red behaved normally so I thought she was off laying for the winter. But yesterday morning I seen her in the nesting box. I was on my way to work so only had a couple minutes to stay. She was making quiet straining noises and fidgeting around (similar to the other 2 when they lay). When I came home there was no egg in that nesting box.

Today I found her again in the nesting box and you could see her tail moving and she would close her eyes and strain. I went back out an hour later to find her out of the box and again no egg.

I picked her up last night and gave her an overall inspection. Her vent is not inflamed and there is no swelling in her abdomen. She appears to be fine.

Could she be egg bound? Why would she go through the motions of laying an egg two days in a row? (It could be more but that is all I have observed)

Try giving her a human calcium pill. I did that 1 month ago to my hen, and every day since I gave her that pill, she felt better. Now, she’s back to normal. @azygous @Eggcessive

 

[azygous]

Some of the signs of egg bonding are there, but how is she behaving when she's out of the nest? Is she much quieter? Is she inactive? Does she stand in one place fluffed up with her tail held low?

It's not necessary to know for sure she's egg bound to start to take steps to help her. First, as @The-White-Elephant suggested, give her a calcium tablet or Tums. That can be all that's needed to give her system a little nudge. If it's very cold there right now, give her some heat in the nest box such as a hot water bottle. That can relax her muscles to ease the egg out.

If the egg comes out with out a shell, continue to give calcium tablets, one a day, until the eggs are again coming out with a normal shell, and then you can stop the daily calcium and let her go back to relying on oyster shell as her calcium source.

 

[6BeachChicks]

Some of the signs of egg bonding are there, but how is she behaving when she's out of the nest? Is she much quieter? Is she inactive? Does she stand in one place fluffed up with her tail held low?

It's not necessary to know for sure she's egg bound to start to take steps to help her. First, as @The-White-Elephant suggested, give her a calcium tablet or Tums. That can be all that's needed to give her system a little nudge. If it's very cold there right now, give her some heat in the nest box such as a hot water bottle. That can relax her muscles to ease the egg out.

If the egg comes out with out a shell, continue to give calcium tablets, one a day, until the eggs are again coming out with a normal shell, and then you can stop the daily calcium and let her go back to relying on oyster shell as her calcium source.

X2 those calcium tablets work great!

 

[Crankkt]

I have been dosing with a calcium pill daily. Thankfully she takes pills easier than the four legged animals lol.

I have not noticed her in the nesting box trying to lay but have not been in the coop as much over the last couple days.

Sge is an active pullet and is usually the first to greet me when I go out. She roosts on the highest bar in the coop. She does not have any puffed up feathers. I do not see her pecking much at the other hens but also have never seen the other hens peck at her.. so I think she is top hen, or close to it.

She stopped laying some weeks ago when the cooler weather started. I just thought that she was taking a break for the winter. When out in the coop I noticed her in the nesting box and appeared to be trying to lay but no egg. I noticed the same thing the following day.

I might just be overthinking it. Thanks for your help. Will update with any changes.

 

[Sammster]

How do you give the calcium/tums? Do you grind it up?

 

[Crankkt]

How do you give the calcium/tums? Do you grind it up?

Yes and putting it on some bread. It had been working well so far

 

[azygous]

Chickens have had no teeth for millions of years, so they've become expert at swallowing things whole that would choke us humans who need teeth to help us swallow stuff. Why make the job more difficult? Just pop the pill into the beak and be done with it.

 

[6BeachChicks]

This is a good video. Like azygous said, just pop it in!

 

[Sammster]

This is a good video. Like azygous said, just pop it in!

That's awesome, thanks!