Egg Bound??

[Lingafelterc]

I have a 1 yr old lavender orpington hen. I saw her in the nesting box yesterday afternoon and she was still there when I closed the girls up in the evening. I picked her up and her abdomen area felt distended and firmish, and I thought I could palpate an egg. I have had hens with water belly, this feels very different. I soaked her in a warm epsom salt bath, then set her up in the house for the night. She has no interest in food. She is standing and looks uncomfortable, I have seen her drink water. I did an internal exam and thought I could feel an egg with the tip of my finger if I went in and downward, but I've never felt for an egg before. Felt firm with with flesh over it. Massaging either side of her abdomen is clearly uncomfortable for her and causes her to lower her back end as if trying to lay an egg. I also often see her vent moving, as if trying to lay, while she is standing in her crate. I have given 2 more soaks through the day today. She had a small amount of poop in her crate through the day today, mucousy, white and some very dark green, but no other stool. I didn't notice anything obvious with her prior to yesterday afternoon, but I have a large flock and may have missed something. She is out on pasture through the day and fed an organic chicken feed and occasional scratch. Everyone else seems to be doing ok. Any suggestions?? Thanks!

 

[Yardfulla poopers]

I would get her a calcium citrate pill ASAP. I've had luck crushing it and giving it on scramble eggs but if she's not interested in food, others say pull down on the waddle, pop it in and she will swallow it no problem.

 

[Lingafelterc]

I would get her a calcium citrate pill ASAP. I've had luck crushing it and giving it on scramble eggs but if she's not interested in food, others say pull down on the waddle, pop it in and she will swallow it no problem.

Thank you, I forgot to add that I tried giving her some. The pills are really big, I'm not sure if she could swallow it, so I dissolved it in water and was able to use a syringe and get her to drink about half of it. That was late afternoon today.

 

[Yardfulla poopers]

i would try again to get her some extra calcium. Also if you have any type of chicken vitamins, see if you can get her to take some. I use infant vitamins, iron free poly-vi-sol. If she will eat scrambled egg or wet layer feed, give her whatever she will eat.

 

[Lingafelterc]

I have vitamins in her water and was able to give her a calcium pill this morning (thanks! I didn't know you could pill a chicken!). She was actually laying down this morning, which I didn't see her do yesterday, but after being handled, she's back to standing. Still no interest in food.