Eggbound Hen - Treatment Ideas Please?

[skullgrrrl]

A few days ago I noticed a blob of poop on my hen's vent. When I pulled it off I noticed she had a distended (not prolapsed vent). She's been eating, drinking and walking just fine but the situation didn't get better so I put her in a dog crate. I gave her Tums in her water and yesterday a warm bath with epsom salts. The bulge looked like a weakening of the muscle around the vent and hadn't gotten better or worse.

Today the bulge was large and the size of an egg - she's eggbound. I gave her a warm bath with epsom salts and she tried to push the egg out several times. She's straining, I can see the egg but it won't budge. I lubed her up inside and used my finger to try to get it out and it won't come out. I've given her another Tums for the calcium. She's back in the dog crate and I'm hoping she'll be able to push it out, but if not when do I intervene?

I've read that I can use a sharp object to pierce the shell and then, carefully using a needleless syringe suck out the contents and gently remove the shell. Its not what I want to do but I'm afraid if she hasn't gotten it out by now she'll be weakened and not able to.

She's just left her chicks so this is probably her first egg in @8wks. It doesn't feel really large.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Do you have her somewhere dark and quiet?

 

[skullgrrrl]

Do you have her somewhere dark and quiet?

Yes, she's in a dog crate in a quiet part of the coop.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you take her to a vet who can get the egg out? It can be risky trying to break an egg inside or to try and remove it yourself. That said, you need to get the egg out. I would keep trying a warm bath and massaging her abdomen, trying to get her to relax. Get her drinking some water with electrolytes. You might try some calcium with vitamin D. Good luck.

 

[skullgrrrl]

Can you take her to a vet who can get the egg out? It can be risky trying to break an egg inside or to try and remove it yourself. That said, you need to get the egg out. I would keep trying a warm bath and massaging her abdomen, trying to get her to relax. Get her drinking some water with electrolytes. You might try some calcium with vitamin D. Good luck.

I'm not sure my vet will have any more luck than I've had if the solution is to remove it manually.

 

[Eggcessive]

They sometimes can remove the egg with suction. I haven’t seen it, but some have had it done by vets. An avian vet or one who treats birds may be more likely. Hopefully others will chime in.

 

[Eggcessive]

Does the egg shell feel hard or rubbery, or can you tell?

 

[skullgrrrl]

Does the egg shell feel hard or rubbery, or can you tell?

hard - its a regular egg. if it was rubbery it would be easier to get out.

 

[skullgrrrl]

I'm not sure my vet will have any more luck than I've had if the solution is to remove it manually.

i called my vet and he didn't have any more suggestions than what i'm doing - it would be the same course of action they'd take.

 

[Eggcessive]

Rubber or shell-less eggs are harder for the hen to pass, though. Also, if you had to break it inside to remove it, the shell would not be as likely to cut her insides.

I was just Googling “egg bound and prolapsed vent,” and there is not a lot of success when this happens. There are some YouTube videos and threads from BYC that may help you.