Eggbound Hen - Treatment Ideas Please?

[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.

 

[skullgrrrl]

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.

Thanks, I'll do all that. The egg didn't seem very large so I'm surprised it got stuck. Maybe because she was on hiatus with her chicks and hadn't laid for a couple of months?

 

[skullgrrrl]

Update: Its been 16 days since I had to break the egg to get it out. Mango is looking good: eating, drinking, laying (although there's blood on the eggs, a little less each day). The only issue is her vent is still distended and doesn't close fully - it appears the egg has stretched her vent so its 'flabby'. I've bathed her to keep it clean (poop just drips out) and clipped her feathers around her vent. Any suggestions for how to get the muscle tone back in her vent?