I think my hen is egg bound?

[sweetcandy]

This is a hen I rescued and got really well from having worms. She looks really well now and has all her feathers back now. She has never laid but I have noticed she has been tring in the nest box. I have left her to it but today decided to have a look underneath her and she has a really swollen abdomin and her vent is still opening and closing. I have done the warm water in the bucket and oiled the area but not sure if this will make the swollen mass go down. She is still eating,drinking and walking around as normal but once I put her in the bucket I see how swollen she was and she must be very sore. I have not tried to push the swollen area as I don't want to hurt her and I am not sure if she is definatley egg bound?

 

[oldchickenlady]

I'm sorry about your hen! I don't know what you should do, as mine haven't started laying yet and have had no problems like this. I can offer sympathy and I really hope this situation resolves itself. Maybe someone with experience with this will respond.

 

[parmesan]

It's hard to tell since she has never laid before. If she's acting normal otherwise, maybe she's just feeling it and it will happen and there's really nothing wrong? My chickens vents are always pulsating like that and I never thought it was necessarily a bad thing. Is there a lump that you can see or feel? Has there been a change in diet? Is she roosting?
I'm wondering because I have a year old hen who has been laying and stopped. But I can't see or feel a lump and the only thing that's different in her behavior is that she sleeps in the nesting box lately instead of roosting. I did the warm bath thing as well and the only thing that came out was an enormous turd. ONe of my hens WAS egg bound. She was definitely acting sick, though. And the bath did work. Your situation and my new situation seem different, but how I am not sure.
Worried.
I have been feeding them some croissants from work lately....but bread's ok, yes?

Can someone chime in on this?

 

[sweetcandy]

I have heard bread is okay but not too much of it but I do not know why not. My hen seems well in herself but there is a huge bulge under her vent which is not normal. I have had egg bound hens before but not like this one. They were actually looking ill and had a messy bottom she is not like this. I have seen a thread with pictures on and mine looks like that. I will try and find it again.

 

[sweetcandy]

It is not that easy to tell whether they are egg bound or it could be something else,you are not alone

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