Hen acts egg bound, but no egg to be found...

[MaryZoe]

My hen has most of the symptoms of being egg bound. She is lethargic, won't eat or drink, and just sits and stares. No, she's not broody; I've had MANY broody hens so I know what to expect. Her comb has gotten paler since yesterday when I noticed her sitting apart from her friends. The problem is that I can't feel an egg stuck inside her. Her abdomen is softish and I've checked both externally and internally and found nothing. She has no other symptoms of illness except that her poop is too liquid. Suggestions?

 

[The chicken nurd]

@Eggcessive

 

[MaryZoe]

Thinking it may be peritonitis since I can't find an egg.

Anyone successful with home treatments? I don't usually bring my hens to vets.

 

[Weeg]

Sounds like internal laying, you need to get calcium in her ASAP. Do you have Tums? Break a pill in half and pop the entire thing into her beak. Squeeze the edges of her beak until she opens, and pop in the pill. It will go gown like candy.

 

[Eggcessive]

If she is a few years old, it is probably internal laying, which can lead to egg yolk peritonitis. How long ago did she lay? Is he tail position up or down? Do you notice any enlargement of her lower belly between her legs? What do her poops look like? Is her crop empty by early morning?