egg bound would a speculum work?

[AHappychick]

A friend has an egg bound hen. She can feel the egg but it is about 4 inched deep and with baths, massage and everything else tried she can not get it to move further down.

I figure since it has been many days that we need to break the egg and remove it.

I was thinking would a very small (they make small ones) speculum work (you know those evil things at the OBGYN)
I thought if used very gently we would be able to see what we were doing and get at the egg easier.

Has anyone tried this?

 

[AHappychick]

anyone?

 

[oldchickenlady]

Never heard about it before but I will keep watch on this thread.

 

[Zonoma]

Quote:
I'm too new to answer your question but it created another question for me: I thought that breaking the egg was a bad thing? That it led to infection and a slow, septic death? I'm watching to hear what the experts have to say! I hope she pulls through.

 

[AHappychick]

I dont want to break the egg and yes it can cause problems but it has got to come out or she will certainly die. we are at the no choice stage I think. She has until tomorrow as that is when the owner returns from vacation and will mark over a week of being bound.

I feel if I use the speculum I have a better chance of removing it all.

 

[Kikiriki]

I do not know anything about this, but is it possible to give her a good dose of oil in there to help it slide? I think I'd try that before something mechanical that could scratch her inside.

Trying to think of a polite way to say this: if she is in pain, she may be constricting so you could try gently working around inside to encourage stretching of the muscles if you use the oil, too. Let us know how she does...

 

[Zonoma]

Quote:
The "no choice stage" is an awful place to be! I hope everything works out.

Let us know.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Given the circumstances, I'd try it. Someone to hold the bird and work slowly and carefully. It may be a waste of time if she's prone to being eggbound, but I think it's still worth the effort.
Please let me know how it turns out. Best of luck to all involved!

 

[redhen]

Hope she makes it!

 

[AHappychick]

She is a 3 year old hen and never had this problem she is also much loved by a family with 4 young ones so all effort must be made (not that I would not try everything first) oil has been tried and she can move egg a little but it wont budge. Baths, dark places, manipulation, all with out sucess it is just too far up in her track to get to. I would like to try rubber ended tongs to grip the egg and try to gently pull loose before breaking but still would like to use speculum so i can see and am not just grabbing blindly. I am pretty sure we have tried everything at least a few times I think it is crunch time. I just thought maybe there was someone out there who had tried this or maybe there is a similar chicken/fowl device similar.