How to recover from undeveloped egg?

[piphen]

Last week our pretty little Blackstar (about a year old, has been through one molting), who has been a decent layer, sat on the nest for hours for at least two days in a row and never produced an egg. By Friday, she was trying to pass what I believe was an undeveloped egg. She couldn't get it out herself. It hung from her vent. Eventually I put on gloves and tugged the rest out and washed her. She has drunk water, but we haven't seen her eating since. Her stool is liquid-y and messy we bathed her underside again yesterday. She's listless and getting thinner by the day. We've presented her with laying crumbles, crushed oyster shells and Tums, clover and other greens (usually her favorites), and she doesn't eat. She looks dazed and moves slowly. This is only the 4th hen we've ever had, and I've never experienced anything like this. Can anyone offer advice? Thanks so much.

 

[piphen]

Hi everyone. This is my first time in the forum. Does anyone have advice? I care so much about this little hen. Would it be better to put her in a pet crate with straw, food and water? We only have two hens. The other is three years old and vigorous. They are free range and stay within inches or a few feet of each other much of the time. The sick hen is scratching and pecking some, but I just watched her for 15 minutes and she does not eat...

 

[Lacy Blues]

Are her insides hanging out? I'd keep her warm. So you got the egg out but she's still struggling?

I would give her things that are easy to digest and that would slow her digestion down if its messy and wet. Yogurt is always a first choice with me. It helps in so many ways. Plain and unsweetened. Give her about a tablespoon, morning and night, to start with. Hard boiled eggs chopped up (without the shell) along with grated cheese. I use colby/jack because thats what I use for my family. Blueberries are also high in natural aspirin and could help her with any pain she might be in and it is also anti diarrheal. Use about a tablespoon of those as well. If you get them frozen you can easily quarter them. I've found that they're more willing to try them if they see the lighter inside of the berry. For whatever reason, the darkness of the exterior causes them to not want to try them but they work wonders for them if you can get them to eat them. Once she starts eating good you can increase the yogurt to 3 times a day.

I would put her in a crate and keep her warm. Your other hen may squawk without her if she is her only companion though. Perhaps she could come stay with her at night? If she's not "sick" then that shouldn't be an issue.

If she won't eat but will drink, you can mix a protein drink powder into her water so she's at least getting some nutrition while not eating. You can also mix a little yogurt in her water to get the probiotics into her.

Alfalfa is an appetite stimulant so if you have dried alfalfa or alfalfa pellets, make a tea. One of the big pellets or about a teaspoon of dried leaves in 2 cups of water. Allow it to steep for approx. 30 min. Let it cool and use it as part of her water allotment... say half tea and half water.

 

[piphen]

Good morning. Thank you very much for the advice. I haven't seen her drink in days, but she ate yogurt and crumbles last night and this morning, and slept in her roost as normal. She clearly does not feel 100 percent, but it was very good to see her eat. The other hen, a three-year-old RIR named Henny, is vigorous and stays near. (She loved some yogurt too.) We're watching the situation closely and temp's outside are in the 70s and sunny today so she can be warm in the sunshine.