Egg bound? What’s my next step?

[BackyardBon]

Monday morning I noticed my usually perky 1.5 yr old hen standing rather bow legged and lethargic looking like she was about to lay an egg in the middle of the run. Upon exam I noticed a swollen rump area below her vent that felt like a water balloon that wasn’t quite full. No missing feathers anywhere but the distension splayed the rump feathers exposing her reddened skin. Her vent was clean and moist.
Her comb was standing tall, rich red and her breathing normal until I picked her up and she laboured a bit. No wheezing.
No signs of mites on her or any of the others. I don’t know how to check for worms but she doesn’t feel skinny.
Her feet appear normal other than angled in due to her legs bowing in.
Ive separated her from the others and she seems happy about that. I’ve given her a small amount of colloidal silver in her water in case it’s infection and I gave her some calcium pills crushed up on scrambled egg which she ate some of (usually she would gobble up all of it). I’ve soaked her in warm epsom salt baths applied lube inside her vent and that is the only thing I’ve seen her poop out. I’ve tried to check for an egg but only got half an inch in before she squirms. I’m afraid to massage her swollen rump at risk of breaking a possible bound egg. As of Tuesday night she hasn’t pooped, her vent is dry, puckered and discoloured. She’s sleeping in the house where it’s nice and warm.
The vets in this area do not treat chickens. I don’t want her to suffer.
Any suggestions for treatment or best ways of putting her out of her misery would be appreciated.
Thank you

 

[Dalylah]

Monday morning I noticed my usually perky 1.5 yr old hen standing rather bow legged and lethargic looking like she was about to lay an egg in the middle of the run. Upon exam I noticed a swollen rump area below her vent that felt like a water balloon that wasn’t quite full. No missing feathers anywhere but the distension splayed the rump feathers exposing her reddened skin. Her vent was clean and moist.
Her comb was standing tall, rich red and her breathing normal until I picked her up and she laboured a bit. No wheezing.
No signs of mites on her or any of the others. I don’t know how to check for worms but she doesn’t feel skinny.
Her feet appear normal other than angled in due to her legs bowing in.
Ive separated her from the others and she seems happy about that. I’ve given her a small amount of colloidal silver in her water in case it’s infection and I gave her some calcium pills crushed up on scrambled egg which she ate some of (usually she would gobble up all of it). I’ve soaked her in warm epsom salt baths applied lube inside her vent and that is the only thing I’ve seen her poop out. I’ve tried to check for an egg but only got half an inch in before she squirms. I’m afraid to massage her swollen rump at risk of breaking a possible bound egg. As of Tuesday night she hasn’t pooped, her vent is dry, puckered and discoloured. She’s sleeping in the house where it’s nice and warm.
The vets in this area do not treat chickens. I don’t want her to suffer.
Any suggestions for treatment or best ways of putting her out of her misery would be appreciated.
Thank you

Does sound like egg bound. You have done everything that has helped my chickens in the past. I really don’t know what else you could try so I am no help here but good luck I hope your girl makes a recovery.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Monday morning I noticed my usually perky 1.5 yr old hen standing rather bow legged and lethargic looking like she was about to lay an egg in the middle of the run. Upon exam I noticed a swollen rump area below her vent that felt like a water balloon that wasn’t quite full.

It's Wednesday.
Have you felt inside her vent for an egg?
Is she pooping?
If she's pooping and it's been a couple of days, she's not egg bound.

Swollen below the vent between the legs and feeling like a water balloon sounds like the symptom Ascites. A few causes of fluid can be from a reproductive disorder (Peritonitis, Salpingitis, Internal Laying, Cancer, etc.), Fatty Liver Disease or organ dysfunction.

Is she able to eat/drink on her own? Can she move around/interact with the flock?

Sometimes fluid can be drained to give some relief from symptoms. See the video below or seek vet care. An antibiotic may help with inflammation. These are supportive care measures to help your hen feel better. If you happen to lose her, sending the body for necropsy or doing an informal one at home can sometimes give you a lot of insight about the symptoms you are seeing.

 

[BackyardBon]

It is Thursday morning and she is still alive and also pooping small but normal consistency and colour poops. I was finally able to get a good check inside and there was no egg. I had better luck getting further in while she was in the warm salt bath. Thank you Wyorp Rock for your advice. I will try to drain her Ascites today.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It is Thursday morning and she is still alive and also pooping small but normal consistency and colour poops. I was finally able to get a good check inside and there was no egg. I had better luck getting further in while she was in the warm salt bath. Thank you Wyorp Rock for your advice. I will try to drain her Ascites today.

Let us know how that goes.

 

[BackyardBon]

I was able to drain about 120 mls of fluid of quite easily and she’s still draining drip by drip. She’s walking easier, started to talk a bit which she hasn’t been doing since falling ill and I even caught her preening! Here’s hoping this helps but I don’t want to get my hopes up as I don’t know what has caused it in the first place.

 

[Ila88]

My hen has the same thing. What happened after?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I was able to drain about 120 mls of fluid of quite easily and she’s still draining drip by drip. She’s walking easier, started to talk a bit which she hasn’t been doing since falling ill and I even caught her preening! Here’s hoping this helps but I don’t want to get my hopes up as I don’t know what has caused it in the first place.

I'm glad she seems to be improving.
Draining is sometimes a temporary measure to bring comfort and improve quality of life. The condition that is causing the fluid still exists.

You may want to do a little reading of posts by @coach723 about giving aloe detox to hens that have fluid/reproductive issues. While still not a cure, she has had some success in maintaining hens for a while by doing that. Here's one thread where she talks about it, but if you search "aloe" and her member name, you will likely find more. Plus I tagged her, so she may chime in for you too. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...breath-if-you-hold-her.1284253/#post-20750855

 

[coach723]

I have had some success with temporary symptom relief with the aloe detox formula. I prefer it to draining, when it works, since it's non invasive. It has not worked in every case, but with some it did noticeably have them feeling better. If her symptoms recur, then repeat as necessary. It isn't a cure, but may make her more comfortable. It's hard to know for sure since we can't see inside to know what the underlying issue is. It helps with liver function, so helps reduce the fluid building in the abdomen, but it depends on the cause and how advanced the underlying illness is. I've had some last as much as 18 months, some have passed much quicker than that. Best of luck with your hen.

 

[BackyardBon]

I have had some success with temporary symptom relief with the aloe detox formula. I prefer it to draining, when it works, since it's non invasive. It has not worked in every case, but with some it did noticeably have them feeling better. If her symptoms recur, then repeat as necessary. It isn't a cure, but may make her more comfortable. It's hard to know for sure since we can't see inside to know what the underlying issue is. It helps with liver function, so helps reduce the fluid building in the abdomen, but it depends on the cause and how advanced the underlying illness is. I've had some last as much as 18 months, some have passed much quicker than that. Best of luck with your hen.

I will try the aloe detox for Elsa (hen in discussion). Thank you. Did your hen pass away on her own? It’s so hard to tell if a chicken is suffering when they are so stoic.