Examined Hen (Possibly Egg Bound?) Not Sure if Felt an Egg - Help Needed

BonnieBlue

Songster
Apr 20, 2022
275
431
173
SE Louisiana
One of my hens, Peony, has not laid since Sunday. I thought with her timing and schedule, she would lay Monday, did not. I figured just off a bit and would lay Tuesday am. She did not. Tuesday afternoon late, she spend a couple of hours in the nesting box, strained some, panted (but was also around 84 in coop) and after a couple of hours, gave up. This morning, spent about 30-45 minutes in nest, but no egg. She did eat mash that was in the coop while her sister laid. Or appeared to, I had an appointment and was watching through coop cam. I am 90% sure she pooped overnight, as she roosts right up next to the wall, and there was poop right under that area. I checked them after they settled onto their roost to verify she was in her spot. I do not know if she pooped today.

After finally catching her this afternoon around 4pm, I did the gloved KY jelly bit on her, and I am not sure if I felt an egg. At maybe a little over 2 inches, i was feeling something round, but it was not hard. (Not hard is what threw me. I have never felt a bound egg and do not know if they are fully hard.) There was a bit of poop on the glove when I removed my finger.

I gave Peony a relaxing epsom salts in warm water soak for 15 minutes, gave her a calcium pill, and then lubricated inside her vent with more KY. She is now in a crate on my porch.

This the same hen that on March 15, and April 6, had paper thin eggs pass after less than 24 hours after previous egg, maybe around 16 hours, not sure. Both were under the roost in the early morning hours, broken.

I need help and advice. Where do I go from here? How do I treat her, and how do I know if what I am feeling is an egg?
 
OK, update. She is definitely pooping. I put a towel in the crate so I could see if she was pooping, and she definitely is.

Is there a chance she is not egg bound? I have never felt around inside a hen before, so that is my biggest befuddlement about this. Not knowing what I was feeling.
 
It sounds like she is either egg bound or internally laying. I would keep her inside tonight, make sure she is eating and drinking, and continue calcium and soaks tomorrow.
Thank you. I moved a security camera and put it right up to her crate so I can watch her. She is eating now.

Just one calcium tomorrow? It is a citrical 400mg calcium plus 12.5 vitamin d.

Also, I have never heard of internal laying. I will have to read up on that.
 
My understanding is that if she was egg bound she wouldn't be able to poop either and that's why they die in 24-48 hours. If she's still going to the laying box but producing nothing then she could be internal laying. Short of a hysterectomy, there is nothing that can be done. I have a hen now starting on month 2 of internal laying. Plenty of poopy butt. Last "egg" was almost a month ago and had no shell, dropped in the night. She still frequents the lay box every day, poor dear.
 
My understanding is that if she was egg bound she wouldn't be able to poop either and that's why they die in 24-48 hours. If she's still going to the laying box but producing nothing then she could be internal laying. Short of a hysterectomy, there is nothing that can be done. I have a hen now starting on month 2 of internal laying. Plenty of poopy butt. Last "egg" was almost a month ago and had no shell, dropped in the night. She still frequents the lay box every day, poor dear.
I hope it isn't internal laying. I only have these two. I am in the process of moving in a couple of months, and the first thing I am going to do is get some more chicks. I will have a much bigger and better coop. I need this girl to be ok for her sister.
 

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