Going on 48 hours like a penguin

[cornfedhogedito]

My hen who stopped laying eggs 2 winters ago looks like she is egg bound. Every sign pointing to that except she has some poop in here hospital room (cage). She is eating and drinking. Physical exam revealed hard ab, swollen crop but no egg felt. Lubed her up gave preparation h. Still nothing going to soak and check for egg again afterwards.

What else can it be? Seems healthy overall other then standing around like a penguin and not pooping like mad. She is about 4 years old.

Thanks for your help

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds more like she's internally laying. Nothing you can do about it except hope that she absorbs the eggs. Older hens or those with too much internal fat will often do it. It's suggested to try to take them out of lay by cutting calories and keeping them dark. I have one that has been doing it for years. She eats lots of whole corn if allowed, I think she's trying to lower her own protein levels. She's an old bird.

 

[sourland]

It does sound like 'internal laying'. You might want to do an on site search on 'internal laying'.

 

[cornfedhogedito]

So soaked and inspected her no egg felt,swollen and had poop come out after removing my finger, same when I had my wife check too.

Squeezing ab gently produced runny light brown/yellow poop that smelled bad. Not "normal" chicken poop smell turned my stomach and that's not easy.

Checked another hen same age as her found egg in her will check her for comparison later. Want to see what "empty" layer feels like. Also checked 1 of the 24ish week old EE and she is not laying yet, but I didn't feel the "egg hole" wonder is that normal?

So is it "normal " for a hen to stop laying for 2 years and start again? Also didn't feel any eggs internationally but I didn't squeeze her real hard!

 

[cornfedhogedito]

Sounds more like she's internally laying. Nothing you can do about it except hope that she absorbs the eggs. Older hens or those with too much internal fat will often do it. It's suggested to try to take them out of lay by cutting calories and keeping them dark. I have one that has been doing it for years. She eats lots of whole corn if allowed, I think she's trying to lower her own protein levels. She's an old bird.

She free ranges with the rest of the flock. Don't have a spot to put her yet that would be dark to try and stop her. My wife spoils her with treats more then the rest.

Thanks I am going to research internal laying now.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't do the recommended thing either. Good luck. She may have been internally laying for a while. Two years old is a bit early for most hens to totally quit laying unless she's a sex link.

 

[cornfedhogedito]

She took a turn for the worst. She had a nice soak this morning and took 2 nice poops and fell over.

Did a home necropsy and found several eggs in various sizes and cysts and a tumor on her liver and a brackish fluid inside her chest which was all the swelling.

RIP Red you were a funny bird!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sorry, she was very pretty.

 

[cornfedhogedito]

She was thanks

 

[aart]

Oh Bummer RIP Red

Good on you tho, for opening her up to find the cause.
Could you tell if the eggs were inside or outside of the reproductive organs?