Emergency! Constipated/Eggbound Hen? Please Help! Pics!

[TwinsLoveChicks]

This morning when I went out to check on the chickens, I found one of my hens, Black-Eyed Susan, apparently not feeling very good. She is puffed up and standing with her back end hanging down. She also has a pretty serious poop butt and her comb is purple and flopped over way more than usual. She is still interested in food and water especially, and is drinking plenty. I washed off some of her poop butt and there is nothing blocking her vent, and I felt around and compared it to one of my other hens and it doesn't really feel like there is an egg in there. Also, I found her in a box in a position almost like she was about to lay an egg but nothing was happening. Her feet are way paler than usual and she's tapping her feet every once and a while, almost as if she's getting bitten by fire ants but she's not. Based on that and the fact that her comb is purple-ish, do you think that her circulation is being cut off somehow? Other than seeming super sleepy, she still seems pretty alert. She was one of my first hens and so is very special to me. She is about four years old. Here are some pictures.












Let me know if you need better pictures. PLEASE ANSWER SOON!!

Thank you!

 

[TwinsLoveChicks]

Anyone? Please!

 

[MyTMo]

HI. I am no expert but here it goes. Do you see any blood in her poo? Does her poo look healthy? Coccidiosis? Or She could be egg bound? You can give her a warm water & Epsom salt bath and calcium for egg bound. Make sure to keep her inside and blow dry her if you bathe her. You can search for directions on Epsom bathing. Sorry, I can't be of more help. Good luck!

 

[TwinsLoveChicks]

Hi! Thank you for answering! No, there is no blood in her poop, but then I haven't seen her poop anytime lately. I was thinking eggbound too, but I felt around and on either side of her vent but I didn't feel anything hard like an egg. I also compared that feeling to another healthy hen that is her same age and it felt the same. As for Coccidiosis I don't know anything about it.

Thanks again!

 

[MyTMo]

I stumbled across this pic and it looks a lot your bird. I have had a chicken egg bound with a soft shelled egg. Maybe your is too

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I have dealt with this before I can be more than happy to help I gave her a th in warm water every other day and massaged her vent have olive oil in her vent mixed with petroleum jelly and she passed the egg after a few days with a heat lamp over her and her nest she is perfectclty health now and is still my favorite little girl

 

[TwinsLoveChicks]

Thank you for answering! I'll see how she is in the morning.

Quote: No pic showed up. I'm not sure what happened.

 

[pattydarius]

Hi, how is your chicken? I had a similar problem today ... found this on the web about checking for impacted egg ... https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention

Followed the directions but she doesn't seem to have an egg in there. Has depressed affect, not running around, looks cold. I put her in a small separate coop with low heat. Gave her tums for calcium (I don't think she ate them), fresh water and food. She's more or less OK, but no egg. I'm going to run thru the steps to check for egg again tomorrow.

Also, she has been getting pecked by the oldest mama hen right behind her comb. Has yours gotten picked on?

 

[TwinsLoveChicks]

Hi! She's not good, but not bad. I'll see how she is in the morning. She actually seems to have perked up a little and is drinking water constantly. I also have her in a separate cage but in the same coop with the other chickens. No, she hasn't been getting pecked but she has the same symptoms as your hen. How long has she been this way? I've been watching my hen for a couple of days now but I only really started getting worried today.

 

[MotherhenXOXO]

Hi! She's not good, but not bad. I'll see how she is in the morning. She actually seems to have perked up a little and is drinking water constantly. I also have her in a separate cage but in the same coop with the other chickens. No, she hasn't been getting pecked but she has the same symptoms as your hen. How long has she been this way? I've been watching my hen for a couple of days now but I only really started getting worried today.

I've had hens that had laying egg trouble but they never had a purple comb like yours. I've always had success in assisting them by giving them vegetable oil through a syringe and putting vaseline on their vent.Be VERY CAREFUL if you decide to feed vegetable oil because if you don't do it right it can kill them.I usually just squirt a little at a time on the side of the beak where the top and bottom meet and they usually eat it.I hope your little girl pulls through!