New chickener needs HELP!

[DelBlueHen]

My @ 1 and a half year old Ameraucana is unable to walk normally today. She was fine yesterday evening. This morning she is waddling/limping slowly as if something was wrong with her legs. I picked her up and gently stretched out her legs. She did waddle to the feed and eat; she was interested in the mealworms I gave. Now she is just "sitting" as if she were on the nest. ???

Please note: I've only had chickens for 2 months (I inherited them).

 

[urbanchange90]

From what I've read, you should research her possibly having an egg stuck. Does she lay yet?

 

[K-12 Chickens]

Feel her abdomen; does it feel swollen? It is possible she is egg-bound.

 

[DelBlueHen]

She is up on a nest now. That means she had to walk across the run, up the ramp and get up into a nest. Maybe it is that she just needed to lay an egg? Hope so. I did feel her belly but I don't really know what a "normal" chicken belly feels like. Yes, she is a layer. Thank you for your quick help.

I'll wait a while to see if she lays. Keep you posted.

 

[Eggcessive]

When you get a chance be sure and look at the bottoms of her feet pads for any black spots that could mean bumblefoot, an infection which causes pain. Waddling does sound like she has an egg in there. You can take a rubber glove with lubricant, and feel inside the vent with a finger to search for an egg. If you do feel an egg there or by feeling her abdomen, you can put in her in a warm bath for 30 minutes which can help her pass the egg. Eggbound hens need calcium, so give her a crushed Tums or 1/2 a calcium tablet in some food or yogurt.

 

[DelBlueHen]

Ok, thanks so much. Have been reading up on egg bound hens; hope she just passes an egg. They do get quite a bit of calcium in their diet, but will go get Tums and yogurt.

 

[DelBlueHen]

She went back into the run and HAS NOT laid an egg. Picked her up again and felt her belly: feels like she might have 2 eggs in there. So I stuck my finger into her vent as far as I could and couldn't feel any eggs or anything else. Should I be able to feel the eggs from the inside?

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm not an expert on this, but there may be eggs inside to come out. That is why the calcium is very important. At least she isn't egg bound, but I would give her a dose, and keep an eye on her. Sometimes in some breeds they can lay too large an egg, damaging the cloaca, which can lead to infection and internal laying. Prolapsed cloaca can also happen with eggbinding. Here is some info: http://luckyhensrescuenorthwest.weebly.com/egg-bound-henegg-peritonitis-help-sheet.html and
http://hencam.com/faq/egg-bound-hens/

 

[DelBlueHen]

She still hasn't laid any eggs. Should I be able to feel the eggs with my finger when I put it in her vent?

Thank you for the links!

 

[Eggcessive]

I haven't had an eggbound chicken before, but I have read where you should feel the egg. Many others on this thread know more about it than I do, but I would just watch her if she has had some calcium. I know that my hens won't lay if there is too much going on in the coop.