Egg bound silkie hen

[posey]

Hi all,
Last Sunday I purchased a silkie about 1 1/2 yrs old. She did not lay all week and I wasn't too concerned since it is the time of year for moulting and she was recently moved to a new home. Several days ago I was holding her and I could feel an egg inside her abdomen. I have not personally had an egg bound hen issue before but I knew to give her a warm soak. Within an hour she layed a semi-hard shelled egg and I though everything would be fine.

Later that day I discovered another egg in her abdomen and it feels awfully large for a silkie. I can tell that it has a shell by the way it feels in her abdomen. I have been giving her the warm soaks the past 3 days but nothing is happening. She is walking normally, eating and drinking and acting normal but she is clearly trying to lay that egg. I know how serious this can be and want to do anything I can for her. We have no vet here that will care for chickens, so that's not an option.

What else can I try? I'd like to massage her and try to get that egg out but I don't want to break it inside of her. Suggestions, please!
Thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

Make sure she is getting calcium in crushed egg shells, crushed oyster shell, or you can even give crushed 1/2 Tums or 1/4 of a calcium tablet. The calcium can help to lay the egg. You can also use a rubber glove lubricated with KY jelly, and check her vent for the egg. Warm soaks for as long as 30 minutes may help pass the egg. Here is a link to read: http://www.avianweb.com/eggbinding.html

 

[posey]

We provide good quality feed with oyster shell free choice, always.

I have already stuck my finger into her cloaca (spelling???) I can touch the egg and actually had my finger hooked down around. At least it felt that way. Because I am unsure of the anatomy and I didn't want to do anything that would make the situation worse. How can I know if the egg that I can feel is in the tube that leads to the vent? I am afraid the there may be an internal membrane between my finger and where I can feel the egg. Is that possible?

Also, I can feel a large (size of quarter) roundish mass on the left side, inside the vent. I know the feel of a shell-less egg this is not that way. It almost feels like it is full of air and is movable but firm. What is that?

Suggestions?