our chicken is egg-bound and egg has broken inside her vent

[Bird Worrier]

One of my chickens is egg-bound. I have isolated her for the last few days as I thought she was sick but I see today that an egg has broken inside her vent. Please advise.

 

[azygous]

An egg bound hen is an emergency, but a hen with a broken egg inside her is a crisis. The reason this is a crisis is because the minute an egg ruptures inside a hen's reproductive track, inflammation occurs in those tissues and bacteria immediately begins to grow in the yolk, infecting the irritated tissue. The hen should be started on an oral antibiotic immediately and give the full round or she risks death or sterilization.

Next, you want to help her expel the egg and all its pieces. Giving a calcium citrate or gluconate tablet with vitamin D3 is very important. Give 400-500 mg each day until the crisis passes.

Next, you need to provide moist heat to relax her and to help her pass the egg. Wetting a bath towel in warm water and wringing it out well in your washer spin cycle, then placing a heating pad or hot water bottle under neath will give her than moist heat after you place her on it, but not over 100F. Heating pad would be on the lowest setting.

Place the hen in a crate on this moist heat with access to cool fresh water, hydration is essential, in a dim, quiet spot to rest without distractions. You might also moisten her vent outside and just inside with some olive oil or castor oil or coconut oil. This could result in the egg being expelled in a couple hours or it could take up to three days.

 

[MykaMom]

I've heard another treatment to help an egg bound hen is by holding her over a pan or bowl of gently steaming water that has mineral or other natural oil in it. Do NOT use baby oil.

 

[Bird Worrier]

An egg bound hen is an emergency, but a hen with a broken egg inside her is a crisis. The reason this is a crisis is because the minute an egg ruptures inside a hen's reproductive track, inflammation occurs in those tissues and bacteria immediately begins to grow in the yolk, infecting the irritated tissue. The hen should be started on an oral antibiotic immediately and give the full round or she risks death or sterilization.

Next, you want to help her expel the egg and all its pieces. Giving a calcium citrate or gluconate tablet with vitamin D3 is very important. Give 400-500 mg each day until the crisis passes.

Next, you need to provide moist heat to relax her and to help her pass the egg. Wetting a bath towel in warm water and wringing it out well in your washer spin cycle, then placing a heating pad or hot water bottle under neath will give her than moist heat after you place her on it, but not over 100F. Heating pad would be on the lowest setting.

Place the hen in a crate on this moist heat with access to cool fresh water, hydration is essential, in a dim, quiet spot to rest without distractions. You might also moisten her vent outside and just inside with some olive oil or castor oil or coconut oil. This could result in the egg being expelled in a couple hours or it could take up to three days.

An egg bound hen is an emergency, but a hen with a broken egg inside her is a crisis. The reason this is a crisis is because the minute an egg ruptures inside a hen's reproductive track, inflammation occurs in those tissues and bacteria immediately begins to grow in the yolk, infecting the irritated tissue. The hen should be started on an oral antibiotic immediately and give the full round or she risks death or sterilization.

Next, you want to help her expel the egg and all its pieces. Giving a calcium citrate or gluconate tablet with vitamin D3 is very important. Give 400-500 mg each day until the crisis passes.

Next, you need to provide moist heat to relax her and to help her pass the egg. Wetting a bath towel in warm water and wringing it out well in your washer spin cycle, then placing a heating pad or hot water bottle under neath will give her than moist heat after you place her on it, but not over 100F. Heating pad would be on the lowest setting.

Place the hen in a crate on this moist heat with access to cool fresh water, hydration is essential, in a dim, quiet spot to rest without distractions. You might also moisten her vent outside and just inside with some olive oil or castor oil or coconut oil. This could result in the egg being expelled in a couple hours or it could take up to three days.

 

[Bird Worrier]

Thank you for you thorough response. She passed.

 

[PirateGirl]

Thank you for you thorough response. She passed.

I'm sorry she did not make it. Sometimes, even when we do all we can, they still cannot survive. Being egg bound and having an egg rupture inside is unfortunately a very serious condition that cannot always be helped and the hen cannot always be saved. Take comfort in that you gave her a good life and did what you can do to help and this is not a disease that can spread to other birds in your flock.

 

[horses56]

One of my chickens is egg-bound. I have isolated her for the last few days as I thought she was sick but I see today that an egg has broken inside her vent. Please advise.

Hi this has never happened to me but you should bring her to the vet. Good luck

 

[Tamar]

Hi - I entered a "new post" under introductions - but I really need immediate help with one of my girls - she is a Black Austrolorp, very swollen abdomen, but has been eating and drinking fine. I have brought her up to my house and given her 2 treatments of hot-water bath for 15 minutes, also powdered up tums with some water in a syringe...so far she has been able to poop twice (while in a box in the bathroom) but when I checked inside her vent with a glove and personal jelly, I could not feel an egg...what else can I do to help her? thanks!

 

[Sequel]

Thank you for you thorough response. She passed.

I'm so sorry!

 

[Tamar]

I'm so sorry!

So very sorry to hear you lost your girl.