I think I have an egg bound chicken - help!

[WisMainechx]

Hi there, I am a backyard chicken newbie and wanted to write to get some advice. We have laying hens and they are about 6 months of age now (we've had them since they were chicks). They are just beginning to lay eggs each day.

The last few days have been very hot and humid especially. Today I noticed one hen staying in her nesting box for hours. After being in her nesting box for 4 hours I started to get concerned. I took her out and placed her in front of the water and she drank a considerable amount. As she started to walk around it was clear her tail and back end was abnormal. She was walking like a penguin which I read was a symptom of being egg bound.

After additional research on the internet and from BYC I read how to conduct an internal exam which resulted in no egg. I gave her some crushed up tums as an extra source of calcium and upon bringing her back to the coop I saw her poop twice.

Realizing she has now had water, pooped twice, no egg was felt near the vent, and has had extra calcium I am hoping she will be alright. If anyone has more advice or things to watch for please share.

 

[Lauren Kim]

Make sure that your chicken has poultry grit. Girt helps them digest their food and helps them lay eggs. Corn, oats, and bread will also help.

 

[TexasSam]

Has she laid before

 

[WisMainechx]

Hi @Lauren Kim thanks for the suggestions. They do have access to grit. Does it need to be oyster shells specifically or just grit in general? Maybe that's a silly question!

 

[Lauren Kim]

Any grit will help. Maybe your chickens are getting stressed out. Are there raccoons or dogs stalking them at night? Can they sleep easily? Are they getting picked on?

 

[Chickassan]

You can try letting her soak in a warm tub, that helps sometimes.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Glad you're here! If she is egg bound, you can try a long, warm epsom salt bath. Also, perhaps she has gone broody.

 

[WisMainechx]

@Lauren Kim We do have a golden retriever, but the chickens have grown up with our dog and he does not pray on them even when they are out in the yard roaming. We have had a problem with skunks on our property at night, but they are locked up and safe as far as we know. @TexasSam our chickens are relatively young so many of the eggs we are getting are their FIRST egg. We are only getting 3 or 4 a day and we have 15 chickens. There is a good chance if this hen is egg bound, it would have been her first egg. Its a good sign that I did not feel anything on my internal exam AND I saw her poop twice, right? @DeilaMiah what does "gone broody" mean? Is that a bad thing?

 

[TexasSam]

@Lauren Kim We do have a golden retriever, but the chickens have grown up with our dog and he does not pray on them even when they are out in the yard roaming. We have had a problem with skunks on our property at night, but they are locked up and safe as far as we know. @TexasSam our chickens are relatively young so many of the eggs we are getting are their FIRST egg. We are only getting 3 or 4 a day and we have 15 chickens. There is a good chance if this hen is egg bound, it would have been her first egg. Its a good sign that I did not feel anything on my internal exam AND I saw her poop twice, right? @DeilaMiah what does "gone broody" mean? Is that a bad thing?

She might be getting ready to lay is she getting noisy and gawking and pacing back and forth?

 

[TexasSam]

@Lauren Kim We do have a golden retriever, but the chickens have grown up with our dog and he does not pray on them even when they are out in the yard roaming. We have had a problem with skunks on our property at night, but they are locked up and safe as far as we know. @TexasSam our chickens are relatively young so many of the eggs we are getting are their FIRST egg. We are only getting 3 or 4 a day and we have 15 chickens. There is a good chance if this hen is egg bound, it would have been her first egg. Its a good sign that I did not feel anything on my internal exam AND I saw her poop twice, right? @DeilaMiah what does "gone broody" mean? Is that a bad thing?

Broody means she wants to sit on some eggs and hatch them