The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

If it's an internal egg she may absorb it. I have a 8 year old buff Orpington that occasionally internally lays, been doing it for 2 years, I haven't culled because she is fine between them. I can tell when she has done it because of her stance and attitude. Eventually I'm sure we will have to cull, but for now she's hanging in there and enjoys life in between them.

@oldhenlikesdogs

Does your girl eventually pass them?


She is not in the "penguin stance" at all. Just not well, tail drooping, wanting to just lay down. [And she doesn't resist me touching her which, of course, is unusual.] Yesterday she stayed in the nest for awhile but I don't think she laid. There was an egg in there when she got out but I thought it was there when she got in...not 100% sure.

I know that when there is an "egg-bound" situation folks put them in a bucket of warm water...supposedly to relax them. But, honestly, being put in a bucket seems like it would cause more stress and not relaxation (at least initially). Anyhow, if I thought that was the problem I might try the warm soak with epsom salts in it but I don't want to stress her out more than needed....

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have never personally had an egg bound hen, never knew they existed before this website. I'm surprised how many folks are sticking their fingers up the chicken. My old hen never passes anything, she takes about 5-7 days to absorb them, then she's fine again. She has a strange craving for whole corn, my thoughts is she's trying to bring her protein content down to shut down her laying. But maybe I'm reading too much into it. She always stands like a penguin and doesn't like walking too much during the time she's absorbing them.

Hens will stay in the nestboxes when they don't feel well, it's a good place to hide and to be left alone. She sounds more like something else has her, does she feel hot like she has a fever? I think when egg bound you can feel it through the abdomen, but I haven't dealt with it, just read about it. If I was wanting to try to help I would go the antibiotics route first, or at least keep her warm and quite and hydrated and see.

 

[lalaland]

Leahsmom, I have a bo that gets that way, 3 times since I was given her last fall. She is about a year old. Sometimes I see her just standing still, usually behind something. Once she didn't come into the coop at night on her own, and another time I saw her her standing and straining, and then laying a balloon egg, followed by a regular egg in a few minutes.
I just pop her in the hospital cage with tempting food and water. Each time I think oh oh I will probably have to cull her, but then in a day or two she is pacing and wanting out and is just fine. I think the quiet safe space works for her, and she is usually hungry - maybe because she isn't feeling well enough to compete for feed (although I have multiple feeders and waterers because there are 25 in the flock).

I have read that liquid calcium works like a charm for eggbound, but have never tried it.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks @lalaland I'm hoping things get better for her. Your story gives me hope!

I first noticed the soft eggs after a stress about 2 weeks ago. By mistake one day I had shut the kennel door leading into the barn - which means they can't get inside to the nest boxes, food, water. When I came home I was fit to be tied when I saw what I had done. They had been locked outside all day long. Some laid their normal eggs along the kennel on the floor just inside the barn.

Then the next morning there were 2 soft eggs under the roosts. One of these was below this girl.
Day after that, another one. Then skip a day or 2 and another.

Then it was yesterday that I noticed she was tail drooping and just laying by herself.


More stress on Monday when I removed one of the birds from the flock. She was re-homed, but was one of 3 that brooded together that includes the sick one. Not sure if that is adding to things or not.

One of the EEs is mean when this girl and her sister try to get on roosts at night adding to the stress. I penned the EE yesterday evening so that the sick girl can get on and off the roosts without trauma and it really calmed things down.

Yesterday evening she eagerly ate some kefir grains and I got a little extra calcium down her in a crushed pill form that she ate out of the kefir. She also ate a good amount of raw ground meat so at least she had an appetite late in the day.

Keeping the EE penned today so there is no stress from her and letting the sick girl be free with the others. Will see how it's going when I get home from work. Tail was a little higher this morning but she didn't want to take much of what I offered her...perhaps because I had put the vitamin in it and it was probably bad tasting

 

[Leahs Mom]

Forgot to mention.... [more stress]

We "remodeled" their indoor pens on Sunday. Roosts moved to a different location (left 6 ft.) and the addition of a new chick-safe 6x6 brooding pen. Added Six 4.5 - 6 week old chicks on one side of that on Sunday, then 6 "chicken nuggets" (3 day old) babies on the other side of it on Monday afternoon.

Lots of changes out there. It was Monday when I noticed she was in the nest for a long time which isn't unusual for her. Then Tuesday morning was when she just began to lay by herself and tail drooping.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Update:
This afternoon she is looking better. When I got home she was in the barn. I offered her a couple pieces of raw ground grass-fed beef and she took them eagerly. Then went into one of the nest boxes. I though she was just going to hide out in there for a good place to keep to herself.

After being in there for about an hour, she produced an egg.

Still sauntering around slowly, but tail is not drooping anymore.

I also put out a little liquid calcium in some kefir but I don't think she got much of it...think the other birds ate most of it.

In the meantime, I put up a gate panel for the EE to stay in a 6x6 area for awhile so this girl can continue to have some non-stressful eating and roosting.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Update:
This afternoon she is looking better.  When I got home she was in the barn.  I offered her a couple pieces of raw ground grass-fed beef and she took them eagerly.  Then went into one of the nest boxes.  I though she was just going to hide out in there for a good place to keep to herself. 

After being in there for about an hour, she produced an egg.

Still sauntering around slowly, but tail is not drooping anymore. 

I also put out a little liquid calcium in some kefir but I don't think she got much of it...think the other birds ate most of it.

In the meantime, I put up a gate panel for the EE to stay in a 6x6 area for awhile so this girl can continue to have some non-stressful eating and roosting.

Great to hear, hopefully she will keep improving.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Im still new to chickens but it sounds to me like with all that stress, tons of it, no wonder she was acting a little off and is probably not sick

 

[Leahs Mom]

It WAS a lot of stress in a short period of time! Hopefully she'll settle in and relax in the new order.

 

[JanetMarie]

I wonder if my hen is absorbing unlaid eggs. She's only laid maybe 2 or 3 three this year. One is under a broody. She stands like a penguin, sometimes has blood in her poo, her comb. face, and wattles are not shriveled or pale, and she does not act like she's ill. I just finished with Corid yesterday, and no change.