Shell stuck?

[Taylorc29]

This is Phil. She's my 8 month old easter egger. I brought her in to wash her floofy butt off, it was all matted with poo.

Now I see she has something stuck in her vent. I tried gently pulling but it's not moving. What can I give her to make this thing unstuck?

She's not laying now that it's cold and dark


Shell be inside tonight, not out in the cold with wet feathers.

 

[Fishychix]

This is Phil. She's my 8 month old easter egger. I brought her in to wash her floofy butt off, it was all matted with poo.

Now I see she has something stuck in her vent. I tried gently pulling but it's not moving. What can I give her to make this thing unstuck?

She's not laying now that it's cold and dark


Shell be inside tonight, not out in the cold with wet feathers.

Do you have any lube or neutral oil?

 

[Taylorc29]

Do you have any lube or neutral oil?

I have coconut oil and some mineral oil we use on our butcher block

 

[Ebony Rose]

Of those choices, use the coconut oil please. Treat her as if this is an egg bind. A warm soak for 15 to 20 minutes, preferably with Epsom salt if you have it. Give her calcium, human calcium supplement or tums will work, this will help her with contractions to expel anything still inside. Photographs will help, separate her from the flock to avoid her mates pecking at her vent, wreaking all sorts of havoc.

 

[Taylorc29]

Of those choices, use the coconut oil please. Treat her as if this is an egg bind. A warm soak for 15 to 20 minutes, preferably with Epsom salt if you have it. Give her calcium, human calcium supplement or tums will work, this will help her with contractions to expel anything still inside. Photographs will help, separate her from the flock to avoid her mates pecking at her vent, wreaking all sorts of havoc.

 

[Fishychix]

Agreed. There could be more where that came from.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I'm not sure what that is, but it may be the membrane of a shell-less egg. I want you to put your girl on antibiotics as soon as possible. Daily calcium tablet and warm baths until she passes that, and continue applying coconut oil or KY-Jelly (water soluble personal lubricant). If that is the remains of a shell-less egg, then it burst inside of her, and if that happened it can cause egg yolk peritonitis, salpingitis and countless other "itis" type infections. It is far easier to prevent infection than to cure it. Keeping you and your feathered family in my prayers.

 

[Taylorc29]

Update!!!!

We got the shell out!! It took a little lube and a good soak.

Thanks for the advice. Philly will still spend the night inside resting and warming up.

 

[Fishychix]

Awesome!
Unless you are going to the vet you will likely want to follow what @Tycine1 suggested. Thankfully I have not yet had to medicate my birds so I have 0 advice on that.

 

[Ebony Rose]

If you can prevent infection, she may be out of the woods, but without antibiotics the risk is high that she'll end up with lifelong reproductive problems. Keep that vent lubed in case there were abrasions as wet wounds heal faster than dry wounds in chickens. I am so glad that she passed that!