Trying to Lay an egg and nothing is coming out

[RustyBulleit]

My 1.5 year old hen wants to lay an egg, but when she tries nothing happens. This has been going on for three days. Two days ago, I bathed her and put a heating pad in a small dog crate for her; I crushed up oyster shell and coated some meal worms in olive oil and oyster, which she ate, and still nothing. When I massaged her under parts I could not feel an egg, but I know her behaviors well and she wants to lay. Is it possible something else is wrong or is there another avenue to explore before taking her to the vet? She is my pet and I don't want her to die. Thanks for any info.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Sounds like egg binding. The egg is probably big sized so she is having difficulty passing it. What breed is she? Sounds like you've done everything right for an egg bound chicken.

Give her some herbs such as lavender, basil, thyme, marjoram or lemon balm as these will calm her and help increase her blood flow and circulation. Here are a few links too.

Best of luck!

http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2012/06/egg-bound-hens-how-to-recognize-treat.html
http://www.keepingchickensnewsletter.com/site/egg-bound-chicken-symptoms-and-treatment

 

[RustyBulleit]

She is a 1.5 year old Barred Rock.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

You have to take the milk from cows, but chickens are supposed to voluntary gift you with eggs even though they may do so in their own good time. You shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Chickens also like a settled routine, Swedish sauna baths, spa treatments, and Roman massages, are too much like trying to take the milk from a cow and they interrupt a hen's daily routine besides stressing her.

Every hen has days when she doesn't lay. Normally a hen begins laying in the late morning hours and she lays a little later each day. Finally when it becomes too dark for a hen to lay she goes to roost and skips that day without laying. Then she resumes laying the next day, usually in the late morning hours just as before. Also some show and dual purpose breeds only lay 3 - 4 eggs per week even in the best of times.

You indicated the sex and age of your hen (1.5 year old female) but you didn't tell us what its breed and ultimately what is its disposition for laying lots of eggs. Is it possible that your hen want's to settle down and rear a family by setting? When a hen takes to her nest she stops laying entirely.

July and August are just around the corner and when the Dog Days of Summer begins is when the molt is due to start (and especially with "heritage" chicken breeds) when the molt starts is when egg laying goes right out the old window, often for 3 months or more..

The best of luck to you and to your hen.

 

[RustyBulleit]

I hope you don't speak to people in the same tone with which you write. It comes across as disrespectful and down right rude.

I did mention her breed. Obviously, she's a female because she lays eggs. She usually lays one egg every day, and occasionally she'll miss a day; she laid all winter. She does not seem stressed out except for wanting to lay an egg. She has not "taken to nest". She roams the yard and likes to come into the house at her whim.

The spa and massage are what most sites suggest for egg bound hens.

 

[aart]

I hope you don't speak to people in the same tone with which you write. It comes across as disrespectful and down right rude.

I did mention her breed. Obviously, she's a female because she lays eggs. She usually lays one egg every day, and occasionally she'll miss a day; she laid all winter. She does not seem stressed out except for wanting to lay an egg. She has not "taken to nest". She roams the yard and likes to come into the house at her whim.

The spa and massage are what most sites suggest for egg bound hens.

George was probably typing when you posted the breed of hen, so he might not have see it.
He is down to earth, honest (sometimes blunt) and knows a lot about chickens.
Like on any forum, you take what you need and ignore the rest.
I agree that the attention may be additionally throwing her rhythm off.

Your hen may indeed have an internal problem. Sounds like you've researched and found no solution that works, so taking her to an avian vet might be the best solution for your pet chicken.