Epsom salt bath for a sick chicken

[Brock the cock]

Read an article suggesting giving a sick hen an epsom salt bath. Supposed to work wonders. Sounds like a crazy idea. Anyone ever hear of such a thing? Does it help?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If a chicken is really in distress a bath can stress her to the point of death. But sometimes an Epsom salt bath can be therapeutic. Epsom salts are laxative, so if a hen is constipated or mildly eggbound, a warm Epsom salt bath can relax her so she can release the egg. It can be more helpful to give her calcium citrate +D3 orally in the form of a tablet available at any store that sells vitamins and supplements, however. Just pop one in her beak and let her swallow it. Lacking that, a Tums will do, break it in half. Tums is calcium carbonate and not as fast acting but it will do. Calcium citrate is also indicated in hens that lay soft-shell or shell-less eggs, give one a day fof 5 to 7 days.

 

[Debbie292d]

It sometimes helps with egg-bound hens because it relaxes them, or soaking their leg(s) if they are injured.

It's not a good idea to give a bath to a sick chicken necessarily as it could stress her out and make things worse.

What seems to be wrong with your hen?