My first and hopefully last egg bound!

[ANiceKaren]

Hi friends! So, I just had my first egg bound experience and I was so nervous! I think I’m looking for a little reassurance than my girl will be ok! My 7 month old Brahama was egg bound. On Monday she had an egg hanging from her and I don’t think she laid since. This morning she was “off”.. not hanging with other girls, standing still, hunched back. I put her in a warm bath with Epsom salt and massaged her a little, no clue if it was in the right spot or not but I tried! I rubbed a bit of olive oil on her vent and blew her dry (cold here today) I put her back outside because I didn’t have a crate or hospital area for her and did some chores. When I went back outside I found an egg of hers just laying in the grass! She never drops an egg in the grass, always using nesting box! To say I was happy is an understatement!! There was a little blood in her next poo and on the egg and I hope that’s somewhat normal?! This was a nerve wracking experience but I think it ended well? She did seems a bit tired the rest of the day, slept in nesting box for a while but I did see her free ranging and acting more normal... is that also normal for her to be tired after such an ordeal!? So many questions and I appreciate you all so much! Here is the egg and her sleeping afterwards...

 

[azygous]

Yes. You and your hen did great! Cheers to both of you for a very good outcome.

One more thing you could have done to make it easier on both of you, and you can certainly file it away if there's a next time, is to administer a calcium supplement at the first sign of trouble. This would help strengthen contractions to move the egg out quicker, sparing her a protracted amount of labor and exhaustion.

This is what you want, and the dose is one tablet directly in the beak per day until the obstruction resolves, then continue for two more days after that.

 

[ANiceKaren]

Thank you so much for this! I read to supply calcium and I didn’t have any in the moment so I tried a crushed Tums which she wouldn’t take then I crushed an egg shell and she ate it after her bath! I’m going to get this tomorrow! Thank you for the reassurance as well!

 

[Kiki]

What do you feed her?

 

[ANiceKaren]

What do you feed her?

I feed her layer food from local food store and they usually have oyster shells to nibble if needed but I did run out recently. They do get a lot of treats and I wonder if that the problem? I give them tomatos, yogurt and oatmeal, cucumbers... pasta (plain) a little bit throughout the day. Do you have a recommendation? I don’t want to see her like this again!

 

[azygous]

Chickens are like toddlers when trying to get them to take meds. To get past the tantrum, hold the hen securely with one arm wrapped around her. Then snake your hand under her beak and pull down on her wattles. Be ready when she opens her beak and push the pill into her mouth. It will go right down. No need to crush the tablet.

 

[Kiki]

I feed her layer food from local food store and they usually have oyster shells to nibble if needed but I did run out recently. They do get a lot of treats and I wonder if that the problem? I give them tomatos, yogurt and oatmeal, cucumbers... pasta (plain) a little bit throughout the day. Do you have a recommendation? I don’t want to see her like this again!

I'd recommend stopping all treats and only feed the layer type feed that is a complete balanced diet.
Every time you feed her something besides the layer feed you are taking away from a balanced diet.

 

[ANiceKaren]

Chickens are like toddlers when trying to get them to take meds. To get past the tantrum, hold the hen securely with one arm wrapped around her. Then snake your hand under her beak and pull down on her wattles. Be ready when she opens her beak and push the pill into her mouth. It will go right down. No need to crush the tablet.

Omg really?! Like this?? I was assuming I’d have to crush it and give it to her like a liquid.. thanks for this advice!

 

[ANiceKaren]

I'd recommend stopping all treats and only feed the layer type feed that is a complete balanced diet.
Every time you feed her something besides the layer feed you are taking away from a balanced diet.

Got it!! Will do!

 

[ANiceKaren]

Hey everyone... update on my egg bound girl. Things aren’t looking good I came out in the morning and she isn’t eating or drinking. She was just standing in the corner of run closing her eyes. We have extreme winds today so I brought her inside in a little crate for now to stay warm. No interest in food or water but seems calm. She is sleeping. I put some apple cider vinegar in her water... any other ideas on how to help her! I’m so sad she may not pull through! Was it right to isolate her? Will she be missing friends... I have to leave for a few hours today.. will she try and jump out? I’m so confused on how to help my poor girl. I did see her poop this morning and it was watery but didn’t seem to alarming? Here is her set up.. I hope it’s ok!