Is she eggbound? :(

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

Hopalong is my special little cochin banty. I wasn't going to get her, but she flew out of the brooder with all her might and landed on my arm just as we were closing the lid at the breeder's place, so I had to get her. She has since become my favorite cochin of my three, but something is wrong with her today!

She is about 27 weeks old. She started laying at around 23 weeks, but only layed for a week and a half and then stopped. At first I thought it was because fall was getting on, but now I'm not so sure. I haven't noticed it before but this could have been going on for the last day or two. Today she is very lethargic, and does not try to run when I go to pick her up like she normally does. She is making weak clucking sounds. I checked her for mites or parasites and couldn't find any. Her skin is normal colored. I felt her abdominal region and it is very solid. I'm afraid she is egg bound. I have put vegetable oil on her vent but what else can I do? Does this sound like anything else besides being egg bound? She's such a sweetie, I'd hate to lose her...I put her in the doghouse where they lay eggs so she can be comfortable, but I'm worried there's not much I can do for her...

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

Well, just got home and found that she didn't make it...I'm pretty sure she was egg bound and it broke inside her...sad, she was my favorite of my cochins.

 

[new chick 203]

I'm so sorry. It's so hard, and it always seems to be the special ones.

 

[LillyBantam]

. Never come across egg bound. I dread it. Xx

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

Thanks. It will be okay, that's just part of keeping chickens. My new concern is for my now lone cochin pullet. I have a cochin rooster, but other than that they are my only bantams. All my chickens live in the same area and they don't fight, but do you think my last pullet will get lonely? I got the rooster from a different seller so they aren't really close or anything, and the rooster never gets lonely of course with all those other ladies Should I get another cochin pullet or two?

 

[LillyBantam]

Maybe if you'd like some more. But I find all my breeds mix together, large and small. She's has the company still of the cockerel and the other pullets? She won't worry about breed... My chicken hatched out ducks this year and still try's to mother them... They don't seem to notice the differences

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

Well it's good to know there isn't any rush to getting more at least

. My pullets are from champion stock and my rooster has won several awards at the fair so I was going to breed them, but now the only color I will get will be splash, since both my bantams are splash, and I don't think that's a recognized color. I'd really like to breed for blue, which is one reason I was so sad to lose my black pullet. All in good time, then

 

[Trishkabob]

I'm sorry too. It IS part of having chickens (or any animals) but still hard and sad.
What should one do if a hen is eggbound? I was xoncerned for our JG, who is, it seems, simply broody, but I don't know anything about handling a potentially eggbound hen...?

 

[Trishkabob]

I'm sorry too. It IS part of having chickens (or any animals) but still hard and sad.
What should one do if a hen is eggbound? I was xoncerned for our JG, who is, it seems, simply broody, but I don't know anything about handling a potentially eggbound hen...?

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

I'm not really sure either, that's why I posted this thread, but I guess it's too late for her now. Before I left for work, I slathered her vent area up with vegetable oil real good, and my nanna suggested using vaseline. Then I put her in a quiet and comfortable area. That might work for some, but I think Hopalong had an especially severe case. She hadn't laid anything for over two weeks even though she was a new layer and it really isn't that far into fall yet so I should have known that wasn't why she stopped. She had all kinds of egg buildup inside her and it had ruptured, so there really wasn't much I could do for her unfortunately. I have heard once the egg inside them breaks there's not much you can do.