Prolapse or Egg bound? heeeeeelp

[MamaChick70]

I can use your help. I have had chickens for about 1year now and have not come across this. I have 10 chickens. My older girls are a black and red sex link. I had them since 6-19-20.

I have lost one black sex link 3 days ago I think for being eggbound she was in the nesting box and I was short an egg. Now I have one like this (attached picture) I don’t know what I can do. Anyone have suggestions?

**side note I only allowed my older ladies and younger girls (got them 4-16 -21) intermingle since last Saturday. I had them in separate runs next to each other. To get use to each other. The little girls are in there own coop we were going to put them together today. I would have them forge together when we have been home. For about 1 month now. Since we have removed part of the run last Saturday and let them intermingle- The big girls have been going after there grower food. I was going to get oyster shells today.

 

[azygous]

That appears to be a prolapse containing the egg. Is that correct? Those are the most challenging of all egg binding events. You will need a oil lubricant for the tissue that's on the outside of the egg, and warm saline or even warm soapy water and a narrow oral syringe to squirt the warm water solution just inside the membrane to help lube the egg. Spraying every so often the tissue with warm saline willhelp keep the tissue supple and help it stretch more easily.

She needs to be set in a box or crate on absorbent towels so soak up fluids. Give her a calcium citrate tablet if you have it. The calcium will help with this process.

Here's a video made by someone in real time with the same predicament. It may be helpful.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is hard to find the opening or slit in the prolapse many times. I am lucky as I have never experienced this, but we do see threads once in awhile like this. Most prolapses do not include an egg outside, so this is a pretty scary situation. Let us know if you can get the egg out. The calcium tablet or Tums is important to help pass the egg. Here are some other threads similar:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/stuck-egg-looks-serious-please-help.1489543/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/stuck-egg-looks-serious-please-help.1489543/

 

[MamaChick70]

Thank you both for responding. So, when I went back to check on her the egg was no longer there. I have 4 laying out of my 10 chickens and I had 3 eggs. So I don’t know if it resolved itself. Is it possible?

 

[azygous]

If the prolapse has retracted and the hen has reverted to her normal behavior, then you can assume the condition resolved on its own, which is pretty remarkable. Did you find the egg anywhere lying around?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would still give the calcium tablet or Tums, since it can help her lay the egg, if it is still inside. Hopefully this will have a happy ending.

 

[MamaChick70]

I put out calcium/oyster shells. I’m going to Walmart today I’ll pick up tums. She is back to being her Ornery self chasing the young girls. I always don’t get 4 eggs everyday. So I’m not sure if she passed it or not. I’m trying to keep track today.

 

[azygous]

If you're making the trip to the store, buy the most effective calcium supplement, not Tums. Calcium citrate is the most easlily absorbed of all forms of calcium. Here's the difference:

There are three different sources of calcium, all different, all digested and absorbed at varying rates of effectiveness. The most common source is calcium carbonate. This is what egg shells, oyster shell, and calcite derived calcium supplements like Tums are. It's the highest in calcium, but it's the most difficult to digest and absorb. Some hens absorb it so slowly and inefficiently that it's not able to adequately supply their shell gland. So, they often produce shell-less eggs or very thin shell eggs.

The second kind of calcium is calcium gluconate. It comes from fruits and vegetables. It's not very high in calcium and still hard to digest and absorb.

The third kind of calcium is calcium citrate. It's the by-product of the manufacturing process of making citric acid. This form of calcium is very easy to digest and absorb. For this reason, it works much, much faster than the other two types of calcium. This is the form of calcium that's best to use when a hen is having reproductive issues from the relatively minor one of shell quality to the most serious and life threatening one of egg binding.

One calcium citrate tablet with vitamin D given right into the beak once a day until the issue is resolved is what I strongly recommend. Here's what to buy.

Calcium citrate is not meant for daily use as a calcium source, only a temporary intense calcium boost in a reproductive crisis. Good quality oyster shell is still the very best source of calcium you can provide for laying hens. But be sure they're getting the large oyster shell particles and not the powdery residue left in the bottom of the container as it runs through a hens system much too fast to be properly absorbed. The larger particles remain much longer in the digestive tract allowing for much greater absorption. This will help to assure your hen is keeping her calcium stores topped off and will have less tendency to have egg issues.

 

[MamaChick70]

If the prolapse has retracted and the hen has reverted to her normal behavior, then you can assume the condition resolved on its own, which is pretty remarkable. Did you find the egg anywhere lying around?

I had 3 not sure if one was hers. My ladies usually lay in the nesting box. Like I said I don’t always have everyone laying everyday. So far today I know which two laid. I have both black sex link that have not laid their eggs- she is one. I don’t see her wings droopy or tail feathers low. I’m trying to keep an eye on her.