Possible egg bound chicken

[claireree]

Hello, just been to feed my chickens and Ive found a dead one, I think she was possible egg bound as when we looked at her back end it was very red and swollen. I know recently she has only just started laying. Is there anything I can look out for next time to stop this happening again.

Also why does this happen?????

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
This link by Pollysmum should answer most of your questions: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=26414
"Egg bound hens:
A hen is said to be egg bound when she fails to lay her egg

This is a common condition, and may result from inflammation of the oviduct, malformed or double yolker egg, or a too large egg in a young pullet

She will sit like a penguin
She will bawk bawk bawk
The bird seems very restless
She will drink little and eat little
She will tend to stand all hunched up
She visits the nest regularly in an attempt to lay her egg
Hew oviduct may end up protrude due to excessive pushing by her to eject the egg; internal haemorrhage or exhaustion may occur and the fowl may die
She may smell badly
Her vent will look quite red and protrude
She may have faecal matter that has built up behind the egg, if you see white liquid that will be her urates trying to pass (urine in chickens)

Sit her in a tub of warm soapy water
Make sure the vent is submerged for about 30 minutes, this may seem like a long time, but you have to relax the vent area and make is subtle for the egg to pass through, it really does help the hen, 85% of the time this will be all that you will need to do for her and the egg will pass out with a little push from her

You can rub some lubricant around the vent area if you think that may help too, usually it doesn’t help the bird, but for some reason it helps the owners feel better that they are doing something , KY jelly, petroleum jelly, Vaseline or Olive Oil all work fine. But seeing as the egg is stuck further up this will probably help you feel better and do nothing for the hen

DO NOT STICK YOUR FINGER INTO THE VENT TO FEEL FOR THE EGG... not a good idea.. you can do damage to the hen and also break the egg, especially if it is a soft shell egg.. then you will have even more trouble .

Make sure you isolate her from the other hens, or they will peck at her vent causing more damage

Put her into an isolation cage, put plenty of news paper down first and then put heated towels down they will act like a heat pad for her, no drafts when she is wet or she will catch a chill

You can heat up towels in your microwave, works a treat
If you have a heat pad that would be even better, put plenty of towels over it or it will get messy
Leave her for a little while to see if she passes the egg, if not, repeat the warm water and soap again

Some people just use the heating pads, this sometimes seems to relax the muscles and allow the egg to slip out

Last resort
If this doesn’t work, you may have to resort to removing the egg manually, not a nice task, and she will complain about what you are doing bitterly, you will need two people to do this task

Using KY jelly, Petroleum jelly or Vaseline, insert your finger in the vent
With your other hand you can press gently on her abdomen moving the egg down the oviduct towards the cloaca

Once you can see the egg, if it won’t pass, then rupture the egg and gently remove all the shell

Some have suggested you use a sharp instrument, I would not recommend this at all it could result in causing the hen internal injuries

The shell of the egg will be very sharp when broken and could also damage the chicken internally

Once you have broken the shell, make sure you remove every particle carefully

The cloaca should then be washed with a weak warm water/salt solution, this is to make sure all the egg contents and shell has been removed from inside the hen, if it isn’t it could cause bacteria to start growing inside her, and then you’ve got an even bigger problem to solve

Once the egg has ejected you will want to keep an eye on her for a while

There may be another egg backed up in her oviduct system, especially if she lays an egg every day or every other day

Sometimes they absorb the egg, but this is very unlikely and very unusual

If you can’t find the egg and it has gone from the hen, more than likely she has eaten it shell and all

If it has ruptured inside her, you should look for small pieces of shell, or evidence of any cuts around the vent area

Just remember while your looking and sticking your finger in places she would prefer you didn’t, the egg shells can be quite sharp and may cut you and her

If you do find any cuts around her cloaca, rinse with a weak solution of hydrogen peroxide and water

Watch her for listlessness, dull eyes, and signs of fever
Infection can come on pretty quick"

 

[sheaviance1]

I wish there was a way to save this post for future reference. I think I will copy and paste into word.
Thank you!!

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
You can click on "Subscribe to this topic" below and it will be saved in your profile too.

 

[sheaviance1]

Oh, thank you, I didn't know that!

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
Click on "Profile". Then "Show All Topics" and then scroll down to the bottom, left corner and click on "Show Your Subscribed Topics" and every topic you are subscribed to will be there. There will also be a little chick next to any threads that have new posts added.

 

[claireree]

thanks for that information it is a great help, it does sound like she was egg bound wish I would have known all this before hand and maybe I could have saved her but she never laid till late in the afternoon normally and we never really noticed till late at night. At least now I know what to do if it ever happens again which I hope it wont.

 

[gypsyschixs]

Im dealing with the same issue. I just added some new layers to my flock on wednesday. Yesterday I noticed one showed all the signs of being egg bound. After soaking for about 15 min in a warm bath, she layed an egg within an egg. Weirdest thing I ever saw. The outer shell was like soft leather with a smaller egg inside. Today I came home to her tail down again and more white discharge. Is she just going to continue getting egg bound or will it straighten itself out. Should I just continue with the warm baths or give her some time. Shes now on layers feed with crushed oyster shells. I dont know if maybe the stress of a new home caused this. Any advise?