egg bound???

[oddaud]

I do not claim to be knowledgeable in chickens, by any means...so I need help. I have a very small flock (6) of girls around 1 year old. I get 3 eggs a day usually. Dont know from who, though! I went out to feed/water yesterday, and one of my RIR girls was laying on the ground. She wouldnt budge when I tried to nudge her. I picked her up and she was polite (not usually sweet) and let me pet her. I put her down, thinking maybe she was just hot, looking for cool dirt. She immediately laid down. I got her a small handfull of grass, and she picked at it. I took my hubby out to show him later, and we noticed her butt was red (normal??) and bald!! She still was laying on the ground today, and she kinda kicks one leg out to the side a little, and the wing on that side she kinda holds out. I noticed a feather of hers in her beak. Is she pecking out her own booty feathers in an attempt to get out an egg?? There havent been many eggs the last few days....I have never had to deal with many issues with these chickens...other than patching up holes that some critter dug under the coop to attack a few of them last year. We lost 5. Does anyone have any advice?? Im hoping she isnt dead in the morning....what a lousy way to go.....being plugged up-to-death. HELP!!

 

[Uniontown Poultry]

The laying down on the side with the wing extended out is a pose they often do while they are sunbathing, but it could be other things, too. Can she walk? If she waddles when she walks, or walks stiffly and upright, these are signs of being eggbound. A reddish bottom can be normal, particularly if she's molting and more skin is exposed to the sun, and can also be a sign that others have been pecking at her. Chickens aren't advanced enough mentally to know an egg is stuck, or to venture pecking their own bottoms - the feather in her beak probably got stuck there while she groomed herself. Any chance your girls are starting a molt? That could cut down on the eggs.

If your girl is still just laying around, pick her up and check her feet for injury (especially the bottoms for black scabs). See if her toes are ok (it can be easy to miss a broken toe, and that will keep a chicken from walking around sometimes. You can feel up the leg for swelling, heat from an infection, or obvious injury.Press your finger into her foot like a perch and see if her toes curl around it - a good sign. If you are scared she is eggbound, the treatment is harmless and canease your mind at least - soak her in a tub/sink/rubbermaid of very warm water for 15 minutes. If she's eggbound, the egg should come out. You could also put her under a heat lamp, but I personally think the hot water method works best, since water conducts teperature better than air.

 

[edamico]

I think my hen is egg bound as well. She hasn't laid in 3 days and she usually does everyday. 3 days ago she was standing in the corner of the yard and wouldn't move. She was kind of faced down with her tail feathers up. At first I was concerned that she was sick however the next day she was acting normal. Eating and drinking, etc Still no egg though. I have checked her for all other signs of sickness, no discharge, crustiness, oozing, wheezing, etc. I'm not sure if hens brood if there is no rooster. I recall about 4 or 5 days ago both girls freaked when I went to collect their eggs, they jumped in front of me and swatted at me. I read some other threads on various forums and what I did was brought her inside and built a makeshift 'sauna' if you will. I have a cooker steaming water underneath her and have her elevated about a foot above that in a dog cage with lots of holes on the bottom. Shes looking at me like I'm crazy as she has her wings open and is breathing through her mouth, obviously hot. She is still eating and drinking plenty. I don't want to cook her alive but I am afraid that she wont pass the egg. I think I feel an egg when I touch her abdominal area. With a gloved and oiled hand I palpated inside the vent, pretty weird, It's definitely pulsating so I assume she is trying to pass an egg? I tried to lubricate the area as best I could but I am afraid of doing damage of some sort. I have been reading about a warm bath so I think that will be my next step. I am doing all of this tonight because I will be stuck at work all day tomorrow until 7pm. It will be day 4 of no egg. She was always the best layer, she started fairly early on, much sooner than her 'sister'. How long can this go on for?

 

[Sexybit]

I may also have an eggbound hen...I did put her in a warm bath. Hopefully, that will get things moving. She just doesn't act right. Here feathers on her rump are very wet and stuck together from the water bath and I can see her skin is red. Not sure what else to do for her...

 

[RetiredArmyWife]

I think my hen is egg bound as well. She hasn't laid in 3 days and she usually does everyday. 3 days ago she was standing in the corner of the yard and wouldn't move. She was kind of faced down with her tail feathers up. At first I was concerned that she was sick however the next day she was acting normal. Eating and drinking, etc Still no egg though. I have checked her for all other signs of sickness, no discharge, crustiness, oozing, wheezing, etc. I'm not sure if hens brood if there is no rooster. I recall about 4 or 5 days ago both girls freaked when I went to collect their eggs, they jumped in front of me and swatted at me. I read some other threads on various forums and what I did was brought her inside and built a makeshift 'sauna' if you will. I have a cooker steaming water underneath her and have her elevated about a foot above that in a dog cage with lots of holes on the bottom. Shes looking at me like I'm crazy as she has her wings open and is breathing through her mouth, obviously hot. She is still eating and drinking plenty. I don't want to cook her alive but I am afraid that she wont pass the egg. I think I feel an egg when I touch her abdominal area. With a gloved and oiled hand I palpated inside the vent, pretty weird, It's definitely pulsating so I assume she is trying to pass an egg? I tried to lubricate the area as best I could but I am afraid of doing damage of some sort. I have been reading about a warm bath so I think that will be my next step. I am doing all of this tonight because I will be stuck at work all day tomorrow until 7pm. It will be day 4 of no egg. She was always the best layer, she started fairly early on, much sooner than her 'sister'. How long can this go on for?