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.

 

[skullgrrrl]

I went out to check her hoping to find a laid egg but prepared to get it out myself. I had my 'operating table' set up in the kitchen just in case.

The procedure went really well and really fast with no complications.

The egg was @1/8-1/4 outside her vent but not moving. I put my fingers on both sides of the egg on the outside of her body to stop it from being drawn back inside. I hit the egg with a sharp skewer and it broke. Then I syringed out a bit of albumen. I broke a bit of shell and hauled out the yolk. Next I used forceps to pull out big pieces of shell. The egg pretty much collapsed on itself so that was easy and I'm confident that I got it all.

The worst part is a ton of really stinky poop followed (even though she pooped a lot in her bath this afternoon).

Her vent is still distended and hanging open a bit so I've put on Prep H and Vetericyn and put her back in a crate for observation. I'm hoping she'll make a full recovery.

Sorry no photos, my hands were full (& by the end I was gagging).

 

[Eggcessive]

Great job. They usually cannot poop when they are egg bound and prolapsed, so you probably saved her life. It might help to stop her from laying over the next few days. If they are kept in darkness for 16 out of every 24 hours in a dark room or covered cage, and in daylight for 8 hours to eat and drink water, move around, it can stop laying in a few days. That can help with healing the vent. A daily soak in sudsy water or Epsom salts can help to keep the vent clean. Using an oil to keep the prolapsed vent moist and kept from drying out is good.

 

[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.