HELP - What is going on?!??? New Layer - EGG Bound?

[AppleMomma65]

My barred rock laid her first egg on three days ago - she's 18 weeks. Instead of free-ranging with the others, she stays close to the coop and I've seen her in the nest box. I looked at her behind and some clear liquid squirted out and the hole opens. She will squat if I go to pet or pick her up. I have not seen her poop.

Tomorrow we are leaving for a week - will have someone here to watch chickens - is there anything I can do before to help or understand what is going on?

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

@aart @Eggcessive

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

You could try sticking your finger in her vent a little bit, and see if you feel an egg. You could also try soaking her vent in warm, not hot, water, to try to soothe her muscles. Do they have calcium shells available in their pen/coop?

 

[aart]

Not sure this is solvable in one day.
But if she was actually egg bound she would be very sick and not moving around much at all or walking like a penguin.
How much liquid came out?
Did it feel like egg white (gross I know but sometimes ya gotta go hands on)?

When I have a bird that is acting off I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[AppleMomma65]

Not sure this is solvable in one day.
But if she was actually egg bound she would be very sick and not moving around much at all or walking like a penguin.
How much liquid came out?
Did it feel like egg white (gross I know but sometimes ya gotta go hands on)?

When I have a bird that is acting off I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor their intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and their poops. Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling. Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

Yesterday she was walking like a penguin and yes, liquid was like egg white which is why I was concerned about egg bound.

However ... I was just out there with them for my morning coffee routine. It's early yet but I did check the nest boxes just in case - no eggs. But while I was in their run area watching her she pooped 2x - good looking poops. She is eating and acting like a normal chicken. I will go on my trip feeling okay.

I don't have calcium grit but will get some today.

I do have a crate as you describe and will keep that for things such as this - thank you so much!

 

[AppleMomma65]

You could try sticking your finger in her vent a little bit, and see if you feel an egg. You could also try soaking her vent in warm, not hot, water, to try to soothe her muscles. Do they have calcium shells available in their pen/coop?

I will get calcium shells today - thank you!