Stressed out or egg bound?

[Sphinx]

WARNING: NEW CHICKEN MOMMY WHO IS CLUELESS POSTING!!!

I bought a year old chicken on Saturday. She seemed to be in pretty good health, though her back looked a little rough from their rooster, and I noticed some missing feathers around her vent. Her bottom was a little messy when I got her out of the box after transporting her home, and it's cleaned up a bit since she's been able to roam around and give herself dirt baths.

It's now been three days, and she hasn't laid an egg. I know that chickens can get stressed out after a move and not lay for a while (like for up to a month?), but I got the impression they lay a couple eggs that were in the works before they go on strike.

I have seen her defecate, and she seems to be running around and acting normally. Her bottom seems a little swollen to me, but remember, I am a first time chicken mom, and I'm comparing her to my 15 week pullets who just seem a lot leaner all around.

Anyway, if she is just stressed, I don't want to stress her out more by trying to palpate her belly or give her a bath since she doesn't know me at all yet. If she's egg bound, I'm willing to do all that and more to help her out.

So, overreacting and worrying too much, or should I be worried?

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

She is probably stressed, put feel her bottom anyway just to be safe.

 

[farmer geek]

The hen is probably stressed she will possibly start laying in a week or two.

Hollywood Chickens: Your goat is adorable. Is it a Nigerian Dwarf?

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

Quote:

yes she is! I am on Backyardherds as Hollywood Goats, I have lots of pictures!

 

[chickenlady08]

Not trying to cause any alarm but when you feel her abdomen if it feels swollen and firm she is possibly internal laying. I just took a Delaware to the vet last month and she was an internal layer. Her abdomen was swollen and stuck out pretty far compared to my other Delaware hens. He bum was featherless and kept poop around on the few feathers that were back there. the vet xrayed her and at first thought she was just eggbound and thought she could try to just go up inside and break the egg without surgery. Well that was not what I thought it was. I knew she was internally laying because I have done lots and lots of reading and research on the subject. Well she performed surgery and what she got out of her weighed 2 pounds. The mass had 2 eggs fully formed. One with a shell and the other no shell yet, the rest was massive egg yoke. I have never seen anything like it.

I wouldn't take any chances, if you are able to have an xray taken. I wish you luck and I hope it is not anything serious.

BTW

 

[Sphinx]

It's official! I'm just a nervous nelly.


Look what I found when I went outside to obsess some more and talk to the chickens?

The brown egg belongs to my chicken. The white one is a grocery store "large" egg, for comparison.

 

[Buugette]

Quote:

WOW... either you have very small hands or that is one big honking chicken egg...

 

[Sphinx]

I think it's some of both. It's just shy of 2.75" long.

 

[dsqard]

It hurts just to look at that egg and I have had two children. LOL

Glad to hear that your hen is fine!