Sick Hen, thought it was dehydration but maybe egg bound?

[KnowyourFarmer]

Yesterday I posted that my one and a half year old Ameracuna was dehydrated. I found her in her run, laying on her side next to the water, panting heavily and unable to stand. All of the other hens were completely fine, I brought her inside, put her in the tub immediately started giving her water and electrolytes with a syringe. I was able to cool her down and get the panting to stop; however, she did not seem to improve. She had no interest in eating or drinking. We set up a "chicken hospital" for her, in our garage, where it is warmer than the house but not as hot as outside. We've been having severe heat and humidity this week. I felt her crop, it was a little smushy but not overly large, her abdomen felt a bit mushy as well. I did use my gloved finger to attempt to see if I could feel an egg, there was nothing hard so I assumed it was not egg binding. I did however continue to give her warm baths a few times throughout the day, each time I massaged her abdomen. I kept up with the electrolytes and syringe all day today, as she still had no interest in food or drink. For most of the day she was not able to really stand, once or twice she did stand but pretty much fell over soon after. This evening she passed what seemed to be a jelly egg, it had no hard shell, it was very gelatinous. After passing it, she has been more willing to stand, and walked around her "hospital" pen for a bit. She has also started drinking on her own. Is it possible that she was egg bound with an egg that did not have a hardshell? Everything that I've read led me to believe egg binding would be because the shell was hard and unable to pass due to one of many various reasons (dehydration, lack of calcium, too big for pelvis, etc). Is it possible that there is some underlying condition that has made her ill and therefore made her egg this way? I've had chickens for about six years and never experienced egg binding or a jelly egg like this before. We do have an avian vet within drivable distance, however, she is out of the office until Tuesday. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[rebrascora]

Sometimes as hens get to the end of their cycle (your girl will be getting close to moulting at 1 and a half years old) shells get lighter coloured and sometimes weaker as nutrients in the hens body are becoming depleted. A shell less egg may be an indication of this happening. Shell less eggs are actually harder to pass than shelled eggs because there is more resistance to their movement through the passage. It's hard to explain but if you push a solid object it responds immediately to the pressure, but if you push a soft object, it absorbs some of that pressure and you have to push it harder for it to move.
Anyway, for whatever reason, passing a shell less egg is very hard work for a hen and she may have been struggling to expel it for some considerable time, which will have really taken it out of her. I would give her a direct dose of calcium in the form of a half a tums tablet with whatever treat she will eat... perhaps a bit of scrambled egg and hope that does the trick, but don't be surprised if she stops laying and starts moulting soon. I have a couple of hens that have started already and my run is looking like someone had a pillow fight.

 

[KnowyourFarmer]

Thank you for the response! I don't have tums here but I'll get some first thing in the morning. Hopefully she'll eat something for me. I tried scrambled eggs on and off today but she wasn't interested, maybe she will be tomorrow.

 

[missmimz]

Did you try giving her some extra calcium, like a tums?

 

[KnowyourFarmer]

I mixed some in scrambled eggs but she wasn't having it! I sprinkled some over her food, she ate that really well so hopefully she got some that way. I'll do that again. She's been great all day today though, so my fingers are crossed that we're going to make it through.