Egg bound???

[chrissyr]

I had a hen last week who was egg bound. I tried the warm water. Abdomen swollen, NO poop or egg at all. The humane thing was to put her down. She was declining. I am trying to find out the "why" of getting egg bound. I did have an egg months back that had 3 yolks, maybe it was one of hers before. But I'm noticing on this thread :some people have broody hens and are thinking they're egg bound. It is hard to describe in words the difference, so I would suggest to look on youtube for broody hens. From my experience, the broody will puff out a lot. mine would cluck to themselves when out and give evil puffed up growls to any other hens around her. If I pulled her out, she would run back to the nest box. The egg bound hen is different. Mine, I noticed, when I let out to pasture just laid down in the grass. She waddled when she did walk, but really didn't want to much at all! She looked lethargic to me. A broody hen will save up their poop and try to poop OUTSIDE the nest box.This produces a BIG poop. Broodies aren't lethargic or listless. My egg bound hen, didn't poop at all. Which I think the egg was restricting. She also started sitting with her eyes closed a lot. You could tell she wasn't doing good. Just reading these made me think: If you look on youtube for broody hens first, I think it will help you determine what you have. It will save you worry, heartache, and time.

 

[MYNSBTR]

Chrissyr, I am sorry to hear about your girl. It's so sad. People don't understand that these chickens aren't just supplying us food, they are our pets as well!

 

[hefalumpmom]

My Plymouth Rock hen is acting the same way as described in some of these posts. I didn't get eggs from any of my girls two days this week. This never happens, so I figured they layed them somewhere else (they free range during the day). My Rock went in the coop like she was going to lay evening before last. Next morning there was no egg. She went out with the others as normal but went back in the coop early in the afternoon. She was there for a long time, so I shooed her off the nest and collected 3 eggs. One is hers because she lays an oddly shaped egg. Could she still be egg bound? She didn't come out for sunflower seeds yesterday evening, didn't roost last night, and didn't come out this morning. Her color is fine and she appears alert but is all puffed out.

I am definitely going to try the warm bath this afternoon. As for the calcium, I have calcium citrate with D (human pills). Can I crush that and give it to her? If so, how much? Our vets around here don't do chickens, so no real help there....

Thanks for any advice.

 

[ten chicks]

My Plymouth Rock hen started acting strangely two days ago. My girls like to nest in the bottom of their coop. Late in the evening, she was in there like she was going to lay an egg. I have four girls that lay, and there were two days this week that I didn't get any eggs. I wasn't sure if they were going to molt or if they had decided to lay somewhere else (they free range during the day). Yesterday, I had 3 eggs (normal because one only lays about 3 per week). I know one was hers because she lays oddly shaped eggs. She seemed fine all morning and then went in the coop. She was on the nest all day. I took the eggs, but she stayed there and didn't even roost last night. She also didn't come out for sunflower seeds. Her color is fine. I am wondering if she could be egg bound??? She seems to be acting the same way as others are describing. Also, I saw in a post that I can give her human calcium supplement to stimulate laying. How much and what happens if she gets too much? Our vets around here don't really do chickens.

Thanks for any advice. I am going to do the warm bath for sure. After that, I am at a loss....

Is she broody?

 

[casportpony]

Get some gloves, KY Jelly and very gently check for an egg. If you find one, give her a human calcium pill orally and that should help her pass the egg. I give mine 500mg.

-Kathy

 

[hefalumpmom]

Thank you!

 

[hefalumpmom]

I don't think she's broody. She has been laying for 10 months or so and has never been. And she has never roosted on the ground, refused to come out of the coop or turned down sunflower seeds.

 

[hefalumpmom]

The calcium pills are awfully big. Do you give them to her whole or smash them up in something? I am not sure she will eat voluntarily....

 

[casportpony]

The calcium pills are awfully big.  Do you give them to her whole or smash them up in something?  I am not sure she will eat voluntarily....

I give my little bantams whole pills and massage them down into their crops. Your big hen should not have any trouble with the size unless they're those huge chewable tums sized ones, lol.

- Kathy

 

[hefalumpmom]

Thank you, Ten Chicks. Turns out she was broody. I didn't realize it was one of those things where she could be normal one day and crazed the next. I didn't really do that much for her besides oyster shell in everyone's food. I saw a bunch of different things on You Tube, but all I did was run her off the nest a couple of times a day and collect the eggs she was protecting. Today she came out of the coop on her own, so I think she is cycling out of it! So far none of the other girls seem to be headed down that path. Whew!