Egg Bound - tissue or membrane around egg

[josephinefarmsw]

Hello I have a young hen (1 year old) who I found in a penguin stance. I knew immediately what was probably going on. I inspected the vent gently using Vaseline and can feel the exact shape of an egg, but there is tissue around it (or a membrane of some kind). I know it’s possible it’s a tumor but it’s truly the exact size and shape of an egg, so it would be ironic.

She also has the very beginning of bumble foot, I’m guessing from putting so much weight on her feet straining and standing oddly.

What I did:

Last night I gave her an Epsom soak, gave a calcium supplement, added Vaseline to her vent and massaged her belly. I gave her sugar water and yogurt (which she loved). I observed her have diarrhea.

If this was a normal egg bound situation I’d feel satisfied but I’ve never felt an egg behind tissue in a chicken before…I’m curious if anyone has observed this…

While I do have access to a vet, it is $150 just to be seen plus the cost of treatment. I just can’t afford that right now…

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like she has a shell-less egg stuck. How much calcium did you give her? I would give 300 to 600 mg of human calcium citrate with vitamin D. After 24 hours you can repeat the calcium. Does she normally lay eggs with hard shells? Is her vent bulging? I would keep her isolated for observation until she lays the egg.

 

[josephinefarmsw]

Yes I have that exact brand I gave her some last night and this morning - but not quite that much so I will give more. Poor thing seems to also have a sour crop but with olive oil and some massaging seems to be improving. If her crop has been impacted all this time, I’m assuming she hasn’t been absorbing enough calcium to develop healthy eggs. We have three problems in one now.

I gave her yogurt with calcium broken up in it — and a little olive oil mixed with warm water. Will keep massaging both crop and abdomen and keeping her calm / warm

 

[josephinefarmsw]

No bulging vent and I have so many hens I’m not sure what her eggs tend to look like - she is very thin - which I assumed was because she hasn’t been eating due to discomfort but appears a crop issue is at play as well

 

[Eggcessive]

How did her crop feel this am before she ate or drank?

 

[josephinefarmsw]

It feels smaller than yesterday, maybe by half, but definitely still gummy and sticky

 

[josephinefarmsw]

How did her crop feel this am before she ate or drank?

Update: Her crop has emptied and she is very eager to eat. I’m giving her yogurt for now and sugar water. Her bumble foot seems to be healing and she is putting weight on them (they are bandaged) without showing signs of lifting them up or discomfort like before. Now I just need her to lay that egg. She is warm, alone and in a dark space. However I’ve never really seen a chicken lay an egg when isolated in a crate. It seems to me they want to choose a spot. Should I give her feet one more day to heal and then see if she wants to rejoin flock and pick her nesting box?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would just release her to go to roost with the others. She might enjoy a bit of cooked egg or wet chicken feed.