Help- hen sick, possibly egg bound?

[Annemade]

Jackie is 1 1/2 year old Easter Eggers. Sunday she seemed off, not running for treats. Looked her over, had an egg membrane partially sticking out of vent. It came out easily. Looks like it had broke from the exterior end. After that she drank and appeared better but not quite back to normal. Monday she was in the nesting box all day and no egg. If I took her out of box she would drink and then go back to nest box. Didn't see her eat. Have abdomen felt normal. Last night she was still in best box after lights out. My thought she was going broody. I put her on the roost. She was out of the nest this morning , and then later I saw her on the monitor she was laying on her side in the coop. (I am at work.) My husband and daughter took her in the house, gave her a warm soak, dried her off, is now in dog crate on heating pad. They did say her vent was pulsing and abdomen soft. No egg visible. Any thoughts?

 

[Eggcessive]

She is obviously having a problem with shell-less eggs and could have impacted oviduct or internal laying. Being egg bound with a shell-less egg or having impacted oviduct can make them feel very weak. She may need antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or Baytril (enrofloxacin) to help prevent infection. Those are available online as FishMox, and you can get Baytril and dosages in posts 1-3 here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/baytril-enrofloxacin-sources.959119/

Right now, I would offer water frequently, and give her a human calcium tablet with vitamin D3, such as Caltrate. Or whiz up a boiled or raw egg shell and all in a food processor until liquified, and feed that to her. Tums, plus a bit of tuna, egg, or salmon would also supply that. Low calcium levels can cause egg binding.

You can insert a finger inside her finger 2 inches to feel for a stuck egg.

 

[Annemade]

Thank you for your help. She died just as I got home from work. I did an internal check, couldn't feel an egg. Am stumped. No respiratory symptoms. Thanks again, she is my first loss.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So very sorry for your loss

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. If you can refrigerate her body, then contact your state vet poultry lab in the morning, you could get a necropsy to get a diagnosis. It is a good way to see what was going on. Here is a good link with contact info:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Cragg Klefor]

I'm sorry for your loss! First one is always extra difficult
It sounds like poor Jackie possibly was suffering from a reproductive disorder, so it's possible there is absolutely nothing you could have done for her. It's all too common.
As said already, a necropsy would be the only way of finding out for sure.

 

[rebrascora]

I too am very sorry for your loss, especially at Christmas time.
Another option if a professional necropsy is not possible and at this time of year it may not be easy to arrange, is to open her up yourself and see what was going on. I appreciate it is not something everyone can get their head around but I find it gives me closure and helps me improve my knowledge for the benefit of my remaining flock, so it is a sort of positive to come out of a negative. You don't have to have any fancy tools and it is surprising how often a problem can be pinpointed without medical training. If you do decide to go that route, see if there is someone who can take photos of what you find and anything that looks unusual so that we can help you figure it out.