Egg Bound?

[Arya28]

Hi,

So one of my silkies has been acting odd today, it is the same silkie that had a prolapse back in October. She is a little over a year old.

She's mainly been standing/huddling in the corner acting like she doesn't feel well (we saw her do plenty of this while recovering from her prolapse), and doesn't seem to be eating and drinking much. When she's standing she also appears to be straining, almost as if trying to lay an egg (which is why I'm pretty sure she's egg bound). We have a couple of egg eaters in our hen pen, so checking for eggs at the moment isn't a reliable way to see if she laid.

However, thankfully, we just gave the hens scrambled eggs and the silkie ate the scrambled eggs right up. I know if they are egg bound they need calcium, so I am glad she ate them. Now it is going to be dark here within an hour. She ate the eggs right up and went back to huddling.

Should I bring her in and give her a warm bath tonight, OR, wait until morning and see if she laid it yet and feels better? I wouldn't hesitate so much to bring her in, only I would think she wouldn't lay outside tonight anyway because it is getting dark in the barn.

So what are your thoughts? And does this seem like an egg bound situation? Is there anything I'm missing that it could be?

Thanks!

 

[Kiki]

Did she start laying again after the prolapse event?

 

[Arya28]

Did she start laying again after the prolapse event?

Yes, she laid once while her vent was still prolapsed, and once we got it to stay in, she immediately went back to laying as normal. Throughout her recovery process we kept her in a dark room so that she would have a chance to heal without laying eggs though

 

[Arya28]

But now she lays everyday, and she has since she got better.

 

[RodNTN]

Sounds like egg binding. Can you see an egg? Or feel one?

 

[Arya28]

No, don't see or feel an egg, but didn't feel inside her vent either. After eating the scrambled eggs she seems more lively, she's running around and stuff but she didn't lay an egg yet. My dilemma here is should I put her on the roost and let her sleep and see how she does in the morning? Or bring her in and try to help her lay it right now? Thankfully she is NOT lethargic, and she did eat... but I don't know if the egg needs taken out right now or if she can do it on her own.

 

[RodNTN]

Maybe you can put a glove on and insert a finger inside her vent to see if you can feel one?
@casportpony

 

[Eggcessive]

Feel inside her vent with a lubricated finger covered with a disposable glove—insert a finger 1 inch to feel for an egg. That way you will know if she has one stuck or not. Give her some calcium (1/2 Tums, Rolaids, calcium tablet) ground and mixed with food, or give it whole orally. Make sure that she drinks water. Let her sleep if you don’t feel an egg.