Should we be concerned?

[paustin]

My son has a year old hen who has become lethargic. She is drinking,but not eating. Her abdominal area feels hard and she has matted feathers around her vent. She dscharged clear liquid while we were cleaning the vent area. She is currently in a cage by herself with plenty of food and water, a low roosting pearch, and a deep layer of fresh cut grass for bedding. Although she has been in the nesting box today, we are not sure if she actually laid an egg. Any advice on the best teeatment for her.

 

[Eggcessive]

She might possibly be eggbound or have a broken egg inside her vent. You could take a rubber glove and lubricate it and insert it into the vent a little ways to gently feel for an egg. Do not break it but if one has broken, you would need to get the shell and contents out gently. If you feel an egg, a warm bath might help her pass it. Also calcium would be good if she is eggbound, so a Tums or a calcium tablet could be crushed and given to her. You can search here on BYC for eggbound for more info.

 

[paustin]

Okay, I felt around inside the hen and she does have an egg in there. I gave her a warm bath this morning which she seemed to enjoy (I was surprised). She even seemed to enjoy being blow dryed. Go figure. At any rate she is resting in a crate in our kitchen. No egg yet, but she has eaten about two scrambled eggs and is drinking water. Those seem go be good signs. All the hens have been given oyster shell, its part of our normal feeding routine. Anything else we should be doing?

 

[casportpony]

You can give her a human calcium tablet or liquid calcium, that will help her pass the egg.

-Kathy

 

[paustin]

So, it's been some time since my original post. The hen is eating and drinking. Feathers are dry around the vent and she is passing waste. She tends to wander away from the flock and avoids the rooster altogether. To the best of our knowledge, she has not laid an egg and her abdomen still feels hard. Thoughts?

 

[casportpony]

Is the egg still in there?

-Kathy

 

[paustin]

As far as I know -haven't checked recently. I figure if she is eating and drinking and passing waste, has good color, I'll leave her be.
If she was egg bound, wouldn't she have died by now ( or given birth to a live chick)