Took my hen to vet for what I thought was egg binding but they didn't find any egg

Lilivili

Hatching
May 28, 2025
5
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Just looking to get some input as I kinda got rushed out of the vet without many answers since I was an impromptu appointment.

1.25 year old black star from cackle hatchery. Been in my care since a chick. Given open access to organic layer feed daily, oyster shells, grits, fresh water, sometimes salad and black seeds as treats.

6 flock mates, 3 laying and 3 young. Closed run and coop with no outside access. All are healthy with no signs of illness.

She was fine all weekend and Monday morning was acting normal.

I came to check on them around 7pm and her abdomen was distended and interfering with her mobility. She was squat-waddling around and her abdomen feels swollen, it was hard to tell if it was "hard" like egg hard but definitely firm. I suspected egg binding.

I did 2 soaks before bed, gave calcium, electrolytes, layer feed. She passed a small amount of stool.

In the morning I did another soak during which she passed a large stool, then I called the vet and dropped her off around 8 am.

They performed an ultrasound and xray and didn't see any eggs. They didn't see signs of infection so they're hesitant to provide antibiotics for fear of sour crop.

They sent her home with metacam and basically told us to isolate and observe.

I'm providing a mash of layer feed and water, offering grits and oyster shells.

She's still passing stools. No eggs all day though. I'm not sure what time the xray was but ultrasound was around 3pm.

She's more chatty in the morning, was basically dead silent most of the day Monday but has been a bit vocal today, not like stressed vocals, just normal sounds, a bit quiet.

She's not panting except when stressed by me trying to move her.

They said tumors are possible but didn't seem to be able to confirm via either scan.

It's been nearly 48 hours, no eggs passed. She's pooping and I wouldn't call it watery but kinda loose not blobs like I'm used to.

Still eating food with added water.

What could be going on? Should I be prepared for the worst? Should I continue soaks or will this just stress her out? Whenever I try she just freaks out and end up panting and I'm afraid it's making things worse.
 
Just looking to get some input as I kinda got rushed out of the vet without many answers since I was an impromptu appointment.

1.25 year old black star from cackle hatchery. Been in my care since a chick. Given open access to organic layer feed daily, oyster shells, grits, fresh water, sometimes salad and black seeds as treats.

6 flock mates, 3 laying and 3 young. Closed run and coop with no outside access. All are healthy with no signs of illness.

She was fine all weekend and Monday morning was acting normal.

I came to check on them around 7pm and her abdomen was distended and interfering with her mobility. She was squat-waddling around and her abdomen feels swollen, it was hard to tell if it was "hard" like egg hard but definitely firm. I suspected egg binding.

I did 2 soaks before bed, gave calcium, electrolytes, layer feed. She passed a small amount of stool.

In the morning I did another soak during which she passed a large stool, then I called the vet and dropped her off around 8 am.

They performed an ultrasound and xray and didn't see any eggs. They didn't see signs of infection so they're hesitant to provide antibiotics for fear of sour crop.

They sent her home with metacam and basically told us to isolate and observe.

I'm providing a mash of layer feed and water, offering grits and oyster shells.

She's still passing stools. No eggs all day though. I'm not sure what time the xray was but ultrasound was around 3pm.

She's more chatty in the morning, was basically dead silent most of the day Monday but has been a bit vocal today, not like stressed vocals, just normal sounds, a bit quiet.

She's not panting except when stressed by me trying to move her.

They said tumors are possible but didn't seem to be able to confirm via either scan.

It's been nearly 48 hours, no eggs passed. She's pooping and I wouldn't call it watery but kinda loose not blobs like I'm used to.

Still eating food with added water.

What could be going on? Should I be prepared for the worst? Should I continue soaks or will this just stress her out? Whenever I try she just freaks out and end up panting and I'm afraid it's making things worse.
Sounds like she may have water belly, which is a chronic condition, that's got few different causes.
 
I'm not seeing the other symptoms described with it. Her comp and waddle are still red, still eating, and the abdomen is more firm that "fluid filled"
It varies alittle, but eventually they get to the point they just wanna give up.

Water belly often feels like a firm water balloon.
 
You can stop the soaks as she's not egg bound. When did she last lay? Based on my experience with my vet doing ultrasound on a couple of my hens, they should be able to determine if they are internal laying, or have salpingitus, via the ultrasound. In my one hen, that wasn't laying, and they did not find either of those conditions, the vet thought cancer was most likely the cause of her acsites, aka water belly. Cancer can be hard to visualize via ultrasound. He put her on carprofen, an anti-inflammatory and she has been going ok for 2 months now. It's not a cure, but makes her more comfortable and can slow down the growth of the cancer a little bit. You should call your vet and ask for more details, and see if they will give you some meds for her. Edited to say, I see you did get metacam which is also an anti-inflammatory.
 
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It sounds like she may have salpingitis or egg yolk peritonitis. She may or may not have water belly, since we sometimes also see that during a necropsy. Water belly is from a damaged liver leaking fluid into the abdomen, and is secondary to EYP, salpingitis, cancer, and sometimes heart failure. Many use antibiotics such as amoxicillin or enrofloxacin to treat infection, but it may or may not help in later stages. You can get enrofloxacin here, and dosage is 10 mg per every 2.2 pounds twice a day for 5 days. Do not eat her eggs for at least 30 days if using antibiotics.
https://jedds.com/products/enrofloxacin-10?variant=40215712661693
 
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Can you get pictures of the bird in question?
Pix of chicken, just laid an egg 48+ hours after onset but didn't fix it so definitely not egg bound.
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If the egg has been in process for some time, there could be another coming right behind it. But her lower abdomen looks very enlarged. Does it feel firm or spongy?
Edited to say, I might give her a calcium tablet or Tums orally.
 
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If the egg has been in process for some time, there could be another coming right behind it. But her lower abdomen looks very enlarged. Does it feel firm or spongy?
Edited to say, I might give her a calcium tablet or Tums orally.
Best I can describe is giant humam testicle. Like firm but surrounded by squish and I'm not sure how "firm" is firm
 

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