This morning I went into the coop and usually all the birds are standing at the gate, but not Frightful, I found her under the ramp puffed up and standing on one leg, tail down. Her crop was full so I massaged it. She usually is very vocal, but she didnt say a word to me at all as I probed around her belly. She was soft for the most part, not bulging and didnt seem to be in pain at the touch. Her vent was flexing and looked a bit stretched but was not bleeding or swollen. There was a HUGE soft shelled egg under the perch, this will be the 4th in the last month she has laid like this. Under he left rib though seems to be a hard mass. I cant tell if its just mass in the intestine or a bound up egg. Its lumpy and hard and it floats under the ribs. I gently massaged it to see if it was soft, but I was careful in case it was a broken egg. It did not move or mush, its just solid. Her comb is a bit askew but its bright red and warm, not cold or pale. She was not interested in going outside at all and wandered back in to stand in a corner.
Can a chicken get constipated? I wondered if maybe it might be that straining to poop might have caused her to drop an egg too soon. She has been pooping large, but normal consistancy poops over the last week. But I cant figure whats wrong with her now. Im very concerned for her, she is such a sweet little hen and lays such nice eggs. I really hope she is not egg bound or have abroken egg in her. She is the only one that lets me pick her up and I adore her.
Can a chicken get constipated? I wondered if maybe it might be that straining to poop might have caused her to drop an egg too soon. She has been pooping large, but normal consistancy poops over the last week. But I cant figure whats wrong with her now. Im very concerned for her, she is such a sweet little hen and lays such nice eggs. I really hope she is not egg bound or have abroken egg in her. She is the only one that lets me pick her up and I adore her.
