Eggbound for 3+ days, but no straining or trying to lay!

[Cosmos_]

I have a chicken , about 9 months, who went off her feed about 1.5 weeks ago. We have her in the bathroom amd are makong sure she eats something (cantaloupe is the only thing she will eat, believe me, i have tried so many things)and pipetting water with poultry cell and crushed up calcium citrate so she stays hydrated and has calcium for contractions

She is eggbound, and we have been giving her the extra calcium and warm epsom baths for 3 days now. She doesn't even try to pass the egg though. We have tried massaging and pushing gently for her, but because she isn't trying it is like she doesn't even know she has an egg. I don't think we can get it out without her help. We called a vet and just the exam was $105, and right now that is really tough on us. I was massaging her in the bath today and thought the egg could be sideways but checking that is a 2 person job so I can't at the moment. I am about ready to try and break the egg

Any advice for other than what I have already done.

Please, any advice other than what I have already done?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

@Eggcessive @azygous @Wyorp Rock @casportpony

 

[Crazy Maizie]

When did she last lay an egg?

In the thread before this, you stated that for the the previous 10 days she had not laid an egg which was posted almost a week ago Sunday. I tagged a few of the people tagged above who are very knowledgeable and they asked questions, but you never came back to answer.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-wont-eat-or-drink-anything-but-apple.1504275/

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Can you see the egg?

 

[casportpony]

Please, any advice other than what I have already done?

You could try tubing fluids, lots of fluids.

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you inserted a clean finger into her vent about 2 inches to feel if there is an egg inside her? Maybe she is taking a break from laying. I would probably stop the calcium right now, since this seems to be more of an illness. Have you tried getting her to eat some wet chicken feed mush, scrambled bits of egg, and holding water up to her beak often?

Can she stand and walk? Have you had her with the other chickens for visits to see if she would eat better in their presence? C an you feel of her crop in her right chest and tell us if it is empty and flat, or if it has food in it and is that hard, doughy, or puffy? Check it again in the morning before she eats. How does her lower belly between her legs look? Is it normal or enlarged?

 

[Cosmos_]

It has now been probably a good 2 or 2.5 weeks since her last egg. I apologize for not responding, but it was all mostly food related and I had already gone into amd talked about that.

She is eggbound - it is directly in front of her vent since I felt it on Thursday morning. My husband massaged her at least 20 minutes in one of her 3 water baths yesterday, and it seems to be more sideways than it was yesterday.

She will only eat cantaloupe, please stop suggesting different foods. I have tried most or all suggestions and she has turned her beak up to all other than a first bite to check it out.

Her crop is fine.

She can stand and walk but walks staggeringly. She doesn't act in any special pain or discomfort. She has probably saved her own life by refusing to eat or she would have exploded from the egg closing off her digestive tract.

She has beem walking more and more odd over the entirr time she has been inside. It was nothing like the waddle, and she did not strain, so it did not seem like being eggbound, but obviously it has been a problem for a long time. Probably due to her not drinking ie not being hydrated and not enough Ca for contractions to push it out


S

 

[aart]

Her crop is fine.

Is she pooping?

 

[Shadrach]

If she is egg bound and has been for some days then she may have given up trying to push the egg out.
At this stage I would break the egg.
You will however need to clean the broken eggshell out and you need to get it all.
The larger pieces you can pull out with your fingers. Don't wear gloves! Clean your hands. You will also need a high volume syringe.
Once all the shell you can feel with your finger is removed you will need to flush out any remaining egg and shell with the syringe full of warm water. Do not go about this like pressure washing. Gebtly insert the syringe into her vent about a couple of inches deep and gently flood the inside of her vent. Repeat until thhe water coming out her vent is clean.

 

[Cosmos_]

Is she pooping?

She isn't eating enough, but whatever i pipette in, and some squished cantaloupe and seeds, do come out as gush .