Egg bound. Needing new solutions

[Glennlarch]

Hey BYC friends,
My patient is 4 years old. Has layed very large eggs since joining the flock 2 years ago. I thought she had fly strike, but after separating and examining, no maggots and at least 3 palpable eggs inside. I've been soaking in magnesium twice daily, and encouraging her to eat. Yogurt, cottage cheese, layer crumble, and even coho salmon! Her comb is a pale pink, walks like a duck, and very unhappy. I raised several chicks this spring of which I kept 1 roo and 7 hens. They are all laying now. Do you have any other ideas to help her? There are no other symptoms with the rest of the flock.

 

[staceyj]

Have you been giving her human caltrate or tums?
Sometimes a big boost in calcium ( bigger than just food provides) coordinates their contractions and helps them expel the egg.


I’d also get a needleless syringe and squirt a big blob of KY jelly or something similar, in her vent to get lubrication all up in the chute.
It might help slip an egg out.

 

[Glennlarch]

Right on, thanks for this. She seems very uninterested in food or water. Only if I hand feed her. How should I administer the Tums? I have the tablet form on hand. I will be very careful with the lube. Its pretty packed in there. I'm just worried Ill break one of the eggs..... yikes!

 

[staceyj]

You can break the tums into quarters or bits. Any way you can get it into her.
At least 450 mgs.

For the lube, if you can lie her calmly on her side on your lap then slide the foot forward on her head side of your body it will tip her head down, butt up. This will take the pressure off some and you may be able to get the tip of a syringe in there.

 

[Glennlarch]

Ok. Here's hoping. I gave her her bath. She seemed to fall asleep.. relaxed maybe. After I dried her off, she actually laid down on her side all by herself. Easy to get the lube into her. She refused the tums, so I dissolved it in warm water and soaked some pasta in the solution. She ate 4 pieces. She tried to clean her feathers (that's a first since this all started). She migrated to the corner several times and hunched her butt down and head up. I think she may be trying to lay one of the eggs. Will keep you posted. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[staceyj]

Ok. Here's hoping. I gave her her bath. She seemed to fall asleep.. relaxed maybe. After I dried her off, she actually laid down on her side all by herself. Easy to get the lube into her. She refused the tums, so I dissolved it in warm water and soaked some pasta in the solution. She ate 4 pieces. She tried to clean her feathers (that's a first since this all started). She migrated to the corner several times and hunched her butt down and head up. I think she may be trying to lay one of the eggs. Will keep you posted. Thanks again for the advice.

Oh wow! Great job! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.
You can also just smash tums in a baggie into a powder, dissolve in water and using a dropper or syringe drip it right on to her beak. It will take some time to get it into her this way but it’s doable.

 

[HazelandPearl]

Hoping you have some eggs from her soon! Poor girlie!

 

[staceyj]

Checking in on you this morning @Glennlarch.
Any progress?

 

[Glennlarch]

Yes. I put her in with the other hens again after morning and night of baths and hand feeding, etc...she really looked like she was in jail. She has finally eaten (checked her crop..full) but no egg. She is with the other hens, and baby roo. I gave her hand delivered calcium diluted and by dropper. I found a gentle push on top beak and they will ingest..

 

[Glennlarch]

Hello. My update comes with sad news. I had to cull my girl. She made a stellar effort, but sadly, no egg, yellow discharge from the vent, comb white, and unable to stand after three days. She stopped eating all together. She made a final effort to leave the coop and free range only to be attacked by the other birds.
After more research, it seems she may have had water belly, which I understand is genetic and common in meat birds and older laying hens.