Egg bound

[MemaDeb]

I have a hen that is extremely egg bound! What do I do to help her? When I posted the other day the only person that replied said epsom salt bath/soak. I have given her 2 baths of about 10 minutes each time massaging her to help her relax. It cooled her down due to the heat but hasn’t helped her to release any eggs. Her comb is starting to become pale but she still has some energy considering. Help?

 

[The Happster]

@Wyorp Rock could you help, please?

 

[MemaDeb]

@Wyorp Rock could you help, please?

Thank you OneHappyRooster! I checked at my local Feed Supply Store. They were able to give me information to help. It is the waiting on her now.

 

[Terry2fish]

We have had a hot summer already here in California. I have a Rhode Island Red that has been egg bound also. I set up a kiddie wading pool in the chicken yard in the shade yesterday. It was my hope that she would get in and soak to cool off and relax. The pictures are what she passed today. The tiny one is hers and the others are from some of the other girls. I don't think this is the egg that was bound but think it may have broken the bound one and relieved my Red! She is walking more normally and her tail is again standing proudly. I thought this was so bizarre I wanted to share and turns out you are having a similar problem. I basically kept an eye on her and did not do anything more than put the pool out there for her. It has been a good week and she has seemed to be getting better after the first week of waddling like a duck with her tail tucked and not moving much. She greeted my happily when I went out just now to collect eggs, water and feed the flock!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a hen that is extremely egg bound! What do I do to help her? When I posted the other day the only person that replied said epsom salt bath/soak. I have given her 2 baths of about 10 minutes each time massaging her to help her relax. It cooled her down due to the heat but hasn’t helped her to release any eggs. Her comb is starting to become pale but she still has some energy considering. Help?

How is she doing now? Were you able to get the egg out?

 

[MemaDeb]

How is she doing now? Were you able to get the egg out?

She is doing ok. I have her another Epsom Salt Soak. She still hasn't released the egg that is blocking her as of yet, but her comb has a little more color than it did. She appears to be working a little more to try and get it out. I have had one in the beginning of my becoming a chicken parent have this happen and she had an EGG break inside and I lost her. The person that I adopted my beginning clock from had been neglecting them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is doing ok. I have her another Epsom Salt Soak. She still hasn't released the egg that is blocking her as of yet, but her comb has a little more color than it did. She appears to be working a little more to try and get it out. I have had one in the beginning of my becoming a chicken parent have this happen and she had an EGG break inside and I lost her. The person that I adopted my beginning clock from had been neglecting them.

You are feeling an egg when you insert a finger inside the vent?
Is she pooping?

Sounds like she's having a reproductive issue or may be trying to pass a lash egg instead of an egg. Does she have any swelling/bloat or fluid when you feel the abdomen below the vent between her legs?

What is her behavior like - is she eating/drinking on her own? Crop empty in the morning?

Photos of the hen, her vent and poop too if possible.

 

[MemaDeb]

Here a pictures from early this afternoon. I had just taken her out of another epsom salt soak.
Still no sign of an egg. She has pooped some that I have seen when I am with her but not a lot. I have not stuck a finger in the vent to check, wasn’t sure about doing it. With my reply now, this is when I actually saw message. Her abdomen and sides feel lumpy like there are eggs under her skin. She is eating and drinking on her own. I did give her some Electrolyte/Probiotic water this evening and she drank it as well. She is still waddling and both sides are a little “white” like when you put pressure on skin. She is just a little over 2 years old and has never had an issue with being blocked up until now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Still no sign of an egg. She has pooped some that I have seen when I am with her but not a lot. I have not stuck a finger in the vent to check, wasn’t sure about doing it

Her abdomen and sides feel lumpy like there are eggs under her skin. She is eating and drinking on her own.

still waddling and both sides are a little “white” like when you put pressure on skin. She is just a little over 2 years old and has never had an issue with being blocked up until now.

It wouldn't hurt to feel inside the vent for an egg - likely you will not feel one. Her widened stance, your mention of the abdomen feeling lumpy like there's eggs under the skin along with the photos that shows a distended abdomen - I would hazard a good guess that she's got a reproductive problem. Which one is hard to know since symptoms are very similar - could be cancer, tumors, Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Salpingitis, Internal laying, etc.
Material (eggs, egg matter, etc.) in the abdomen cannot be passed. IF fluid (Ascites) accompanies one of the above conditions, then draining the excess fluid may help give the hen temporary relief.
Sadly, there is no cure for reproductive disorders - making then hen comfortable, that she's eating/drinking, that she has no lice/mites, crop is emptying and offering supportive care is sometimes the best you can do.
I'm very sorry.

 

[nao57]

So...I have questions about this. I stumbled upon it.

The way I see it, eventually I would run into this problem and so would others. But I don't have this problem now.

I accidentally had found a Youtube video first about it, before coming here. And some people said their poultry had died from it.

I'm wondering how you guys with the chicken hens got your girls into the baths/pools etc? Because with ducks they'd want to be in the water anyway, but my chickens hate water. Did you do a special trick for this?

And if a duck or chicken has this problem once, does that mean it will come up again like collicky horse stuff?

Will a liquid diet only for a few days also help with this issue?

And how long do you have to solve it, typically before a hen dies from this?