in need of help, i think the vets are wrong....

[spish]

ok, i am one of 3 chicken rescues, and i work closely with the others, we share problems and remedies and help each other out

now in one of our centres is there a chicken... Skippy, rescued from a battery about 4 weeks ago

she's still growing her new feathers back and is not yet back to laying


but she has a problem the last week... she is 'pushing' constantly as if trying to lay. she's been to the vets 3 times in a week, every time the vets say its an egg that is stuck that she needs to pass. so the woman from the rescue has been bathing her in warm water, smearing her up there with lubricant, keeping her dark... and still Skippy is pushing. there is no prolapse to be seen.
the woman from the rescue has felt and cant feel an egg, the vets say there is definatly an egg, she can feel it....



can there be another reasons that skippy is pushing????


here is skippy today during one of her warm baths




we rescue hundreds of chickens per year and ive never known one to start laying again before her new feathers were grown back, so how could an egg be stuck if shes not laying?

 

[spish]

this is skippy when she was first rescued





and 2 weeks ago




so she is prgressing nicely... but now with this pushing/straining..... we are really stumped...

 

[Eggcessive]

My goodness, that is a hard molt. It's good that you rescued her. Vent pulsating is fairly normal in most hens, so I wouldn't worry too much, just keep an eye on her. Feed her lots of extra protein in egg, tuna, or even bits of good dry cat food to help with feather re-growth. Here are numerous threads to read on pulsating vents and other people's experiences: https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=pulsating+vent