- Feb 25, 2010
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Hello-
This is my first post here but I've gleaned tons of information from these forums--thanks to you all!
So I have 3 hens that I bought as adults about a month ago..they are finally starting to lay (we were going through a cold snap) but one of them keeps going up into the nesting box, sitting there for a long time and then coming out w/o laying. Shes done this several times now, the first time it happened I noticed her acting very sick and lethargic the next day, drinking tons of water. I thought she may be egg bound, and tried to gently feel her abdomen for an egg. As I was doing this, she started leaking out what looked like egg white and a little yolk.
The next day we found what looked like a smashed soft shelled egg on the ground in the coop. Her butt was really red and infected looking so we gave her a good washing and trimmed some of the dirty feathers around her vent.
The day after that she was acting normal again, and the skin around her vent was looking much better. I saw her go up into the nest again looking very purposeful, but again nothing.. later on I noticed she had the insides of the egg hanging off its butt feathers, but no shells or any remnants to be found in the box.
I'm very worried for her that she may have internal laying..is this possible even though shes kind of excreting the egg? This chicken has had dirty butt syndrome pretty bad since we got her..I thought it may just be how she rolls but maybe this has to do with some infection of her vent? She's also always had a weird pupil in one eye, which is now starting to cloud over and the eye is closed most of the time (I hear this may be oracular mareks, not life threatening?)
She has always seemed very healthy and lively until this week. What should I do peeps?
Thanks for the help
-Nick
This is my first post here but I've gleaned tons of information from these forums--thanks to you all!
So I have 3 hens that I bought as adults about a month ago..they are finally starting to lay (we were going through a cold snap) but one of them keeps going up into the nesting box, sitting there for a long time and then coming out w/o laying. Shes done this several times now, the first time it happened I noticed her acting very sick and lethargic the next day, drinking tons of water. I thought she may be egg bound, and tried to gently feel her abdomen for an egg. As I was doing this, she started leaking out what looked like egg white and a little yolk.

The day after that she was acting normal again, and the skin around her vent was looking much better. I saw her go up into the nest again looking very purposeful, but again nothing.. later on I noticed she had the insides of the egg hanging off its butt feathers, but no shells or any remnants to be found in the box.
I'm very worried for her that she may have internal laying..is this possible even though shes kind of excreting the egg? This chicken has had dirty butt syndrome pretty bad since we got her..I thought it may just be how she rolls but maybe this has to do with some infection of her vent? She's also always had a weird pupil in one eye, which is now starting to cloud over and the eye is closed most of the time (I hear this may be oracular mareks, not life threatening?)
She has always seemed very healthy and lively until this week. What should I do peeps?
Thanks for the help
-Nick
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