My egg bound hen woes are back...

[NoSkiveez]

My cuckoo marans hen was egg bound about 2 weeks ago. Thanksgiving she laid a hard shelled egg. Perfect shape. Not too big. She laid another egg this morning. *SIGH* The egg was a soft shelled egg. It was broken. It appears crushed everywhere. Not like its been stepped on. She is walking either like she is hurt or has another one in there. The egg was very big.

Am I going to need to dose her with antibiotics incase it caused damaged to her track?

I have liquid calcium in her water. Ground up egg shell in her food and oyster shell with powdered egg shell separate for her as well.

I'm really fond of this hen and don't want to see her go thru this all the time. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

I can't check to see if there is another egg up there. If it is anything like the one she just laid, it would surely break. I'm amazed this one is still intact.

The darker one was her egg from Thanksgiving

This is with a Silkie egg for size reference

 

[Judy]

Have you tried the bath and warm darkened place to relax her route? In hopes she can pass it.

 

[NoSkiveez]

Yeah. Warm bath. She's in a crate with a heat lamp, himidifier and covered in wet towels. She isn't in nearly as bad shape as she was last time. I know something is wrong still based off her behavior.

 

[Judy]

So sorry. I've never been through this, only read about it, though I'm sure my day is coming. I suppose it's possible that antibiotics might help.

Maybe someone will chime in with something more useful to say....

 

[NoSkiveez]

Hopefully you wont. From what I understand a truly egg bound hen is rare. It actually shocked it happened to me. I am hoping this doesn't continue with her. Last time, we nearly put her down.

Id really like to sort out the cause of this.

I'm also wondering if this stops happening, if I hatch chicks from her will this be something that happens with the chicks?

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Of course once again I have no idea. Why not start a thread in the breeds and genetics forum? There are some smart people over there, and genetics are complicated, to say the least.