Not egg bound if you don't feel an egg inside? What else then?

[bawkbawkbawk]

Our Easter Egger, Peggy, is not looking good. She's self-isolating from the flock, tail down instead of up, feathers looking kind of ragged. We just returned from a trip so I don't know the last time she laid but she for sure hasn't in the past two days. My house sitter says she hadn't seen a light blue egg recently either - Peggy usually lays at least 4x a week. Her eggs, btw, have become larger and larger, bigger than those of any other hen we've had. She is walking very tentatively and I would say "like a penguin" as described in the egg binding article. Her abdomen seems distended and very hard to the touch.

We've given her two warm baths and I just fed her a Tums as recommended in the article. She has shown a little interest in eating after the bath , which she wasn't before.

But when I inserted a gloved, lubed finger into her vent I did not feel an egg and the article says if you don't feel an egg then she isn't egg bound.

What, then, could be wrong?

The only vet in our town who treats chickens is closed today and tomorrow and probably Monday as well since it's a holiday

 

[RadEggs]

Look at vent gleet or egg binding with a shelless egg. She might also have a tumor, but lets hope not.

 

[RadEggs]

Also, do not take her to the vet unless it is a specifically avian vet. I can tell you from experience that non avian vets can make things worse.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Look at vent gleet or egg binding with a shelless egg. She might also have a tumor, but lets hope not.

Thank you so much for responding.

I looked up vent gleet. She has no discharge and there is no smell. Is there a protocol for dealing with a shells egg?

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Thank you so much for responding.

I looked up vent gleet. She has no discharge and there is no smell. Is there a protocol for dealing with a shells egg?

Shelless. Darned autocorrect!

 

[RadEggs]

Thank you so much for responding.

I looked up vent gleet. She has no discharge and there is no smell. Is there a protocol for dealing with a shells egg?

I have no idea how to deal with shelless eggs. I wish you luck. You might want her to go on chicken birth contol at some point if this is a reocurring issue.