If this is sudden, if this hen is acting droopy, if her vent is pulsating and leaking very watery fluid that is soaking her butt feathers a chalky white, if she's straining as if to try to poop, if she stands with her tail down, if she's fluffed up and her head is sunk into her shoulders, then Houston we have a problem.
I just went through this with an aging hen of mine. The first thing is to give her a good long soak in Epsom salt water with a dash of baby shampoo to clean and soften her butt tissue. Be sure to gently clean very well around the cloaca. This needs to be done each day until the issue is resolved so bacteria doesn walk back up the reproductive track from her dirty butt, aided by contractions.
At the same time, give immediately one tablet of a calcium supplement, preferably calcium citrate, minimum 400mg. It appears she may have been able to expel the remains of the egg, but isolate her to monitor her droppings for more egg. Give a calcium tablet each day until all signs of egg remains have passed.
You will know she's been able to clear out all the egg when she begins to perk up again, and the fluid stops leaking from her vent.
I also began my hen on 250mg oral penicillin right away for seven days to stop any bacteria from taking hold in any egg remains in the reproductive track. Infection is the biggest danger when an egg collapses inside. It took my hen six days to pass all her membrane. Once she did, she bounced right back, and she's made a full recovery.
I just went through this with an aging hen of mine. The first thing is to give her a good long soak in Epsom salt water with a dash of baby shampoo to clean and soften her butt tissue. Be sure to gently clean very well around the cloaca. This needs to be done each day until the issue is resolved so bacteria doesn walk back up the reproductive track from her dirty butt, aided by contractions.
At the same time, give immediately one tablet of a calcium supplement, preferably calcium citrate, minimum 400mg. It appears she may have been able to expel the remains of the egg, but isolate her to monitor her droppings for more egg. Give a calcium tablet each day until all signs of egg remains have passed.
You will know she's been able to clear out all the egg when she begins to perk up again, and the fluid stops leaking from her vent.
I also began my hen on 250mg oral penicillin right away for seven days to stop any bacteria from taking hold in any egg remains in the reproductive track. Infection is the biggest danger when an egg collapses inside. It took my hen six days to pass all her membrane. Once she did, she bounced right back, and she's made a full recovery.