Egg Bound resources? How does an egg bound chicken stand?

PirateGirl

Chicken Lover, Duck Therapist
6 Years
Mar 11, 2017
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South Park, Colorado, USA
I have a chicken that is not right, I just noticed this morning, and haven't spent much time with her yet. The only thing obvious right now is that she is standing different than the other chickens and a bit puffed up. I couldn't get a picture before work so I grabbed this pic off the internet to better explain. It's like she is standing very upright, with her head up and her tail down. She walks like this. She eats like this. Like this picture, head up, tail down, whereas when a chicken normally walks around it's more horizontal. She came outside with everyone this morning. She came right over to eat when I brought food, but she stands and moves weird and is a bit puffed up.

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So I don't really have a clue what's wrong, but my mind went to egg bound because she seems uncomfortable and is having trouble moving around, but doesn't otherwise seem sick, not yet anyway. If anyone could link some good articles about it I'd appreciate it. If anyone has any ideas of something else it might be I'd love to try and figure it out before it gets worse. I will try and get a photo and update after work if they have not already gone to roost. I'm also not sure if being egg bound is the answer as I haven't been getting eggs lately from my chickens due to winter/molt, haven't had ANY eggs from ANYONE in a few weeks except my youngest ducks that just came into lay.
 
Ok... I did some google searching for pictures of egg bound chickens to compare and found this... I would say this is an accurate depiction of my chicken this morning. She made it from roost in the coop to outdoors and to the food an water this morning but was waddling in this position.

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So any good reading material online before I get home to try and help her work things out if she hasn't passed the egg?
 
Thank you @Wyorp Rock ! I will do some reading and if she hasn't passed the egg while I'm at work she can have a bath and a nap in the laundry room in a dog crate after I work on her tonight.

Is being egg bound normally a one time thing, or is a symptom of a more serious problem that may persist? Does a chicken that has this once tend to have repeated problems laying in the future?
 
Thank you @Wyorp Rock ! I will do some reading and if she hasn't passed the egg while I'm at work she can have a bath and a nap in the laundry room in a dog crate after I work on her tonight.

Is being egg bound normally a one time thing, or is a symptom of a more serious problem that may persist? Does a chicken that has this once tend to have repeated problems laying in the future?
It can be a one time thing or it could be chronic, only time will tell.

Sometimes a hen may appear egg bound, but she may be having problems expelling a soft shell egg or it a can also be something more serious like a reproductive problem like internal laying, peritonitis or similar.

If she is egg bound, then I would make sure she gets extra calcium for a week. You can give 1/2 tablet of human Calcium like Caltrate. I also give a direct dose of poultry vitamins like Poultry Nutri-Drench or Poultry Cell for about 2 days. Don't overdo the vitamins, but that can give a little boost.
 
I soaked her, which she seemed to like. Got some calcium in her. Then she was straining and falling over. I let her soak again and applied some Vaseline around her vent. I'm afraid to insert a finger. I'm afraid I will cause more harm than good. I'm afraid of breaking a weak egg inside her. The article said to give an hour or so after soaking... for now I am waiting and hoping for the best but she is really struggling and breathing heavy.
 
I soaked her, which she seemed to like. Got some calcium in her. Then she was straining and falling over. I let her soak again and applied some Vaseline around her vent. I'm afraid to insert a finger. I'm afraid I will cause more harm than good. I'm afraid of breaking a weak egg inside her. The article said to give an hour or so after soaking... for now I am waiting and hoping for the best but she is really struggling and breathing heavy.
:hugs Give her a little time but not too much. Breathing heavy she is in trouble.
Can she poop at all?
 
Her abdomen is definitely swollen. I felt inside and did not feel/touch an egg. Could it be even further up the tract? Is there some other illness that causes similar symptoms? I'm at a loss now. I thought for sure there would be a solid egg right near the vent.
 

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