Egg Bound?!

[zzoodles]

We have a black australorp hen and she keeps sitting down, puffed up with a droopy tail. I'm super worried and I don't know if she's sick, physically hurt, or egg bound. Her comb isn't pale and I don't think she's showing any abdominal straining. She does waddle around like a penguin though. She has been doing this for 2 days. PLEASE HELP!! is she egg bound???

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Sorry about your hen.

 

[silkiemother]

you got pictures of her?

 

[slordaz]

Pictures would help, could be egg bound or could have worm over load or any variety of other things.

What are they being fed including treats that can diminish absorption of nutrients?
housing and are they copped at all times or free ranging?
What is Weather like as we don't know where you are?
has there been any change to flock dynamics?

You can at least start with a 15-20 minute Epsom soak with warm water, call a local vet to see if they will do a fecal float test , and follow their instruction on collecting a fresh sample.

 

[Eggcessive]

Insert a finger into her vent 1-2 inches and see if you can feel a stuck egg. Has she been actively laying eggs recently? How old is she? If you think that she has a stuck egg, you can give her a 1/2 calcium tablet or Tums to help her push the egg out. A warm shallow soak for 30 minutes if she is not extremely weak could be helpful, or you could place her on a moist warm towel on a heating pad on low. But many chickens with internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis may exhibit similar symptoms. Does she have any swelling or enlargement of her lower belly between her legs? What do her poops look like?