Trying to sleep standing up & looks henpecked

[Paddlefoot]

My 1.5 yr old Easter egger is trying to sleep standing up. She was roaming the yard yesterday, but did take a nap by herself. It was kind of odd, but hot, so I wanted to keep an eye on her. Today, she had one eye swollen shut and some feathers that were obviously pecked (some of her cheek feathers looked cut). I brought her in to the house in a crate, got her electrolyte water and some mash. She is silent and not very active which is not her. She wandered the crate a little looking around curiously, won’t eat, won’t drink (big alarm bell as she loves water to the point she plays in it). Now she is trying to fall asleep standing up. She is having these small milky-yellowish (the color matches the ash nesting mats I put with her in the crate), but nothing really comes out. Did she get hurt and now she is eggbound? How do I even tell if she’s eggbound? There are no mites and nothing really suggests worms. Her open eye is bright, not dull, but I’m really freaking out.

 

[dawg53]

It does sound like she was picked on, where is she at in the pecking order?
When was the last time she laid an egg? By your description, she might be eggbound or had an egg break inside her.

If she is eggbound, put her in a container of warm water up to her sides for about 30 minutes. The warm water will relax and expand her innards.
Then put your hand under the water and gently massage her underside front to rear, do this for about 10 minutes. The massaging will help her move a stuck egg along.
After soaking, remove her from the container and dry her off. Then apply a little olive oil or vegetable oil just inside her vent wearing a disposable glove.
If there's a stuck egg, then it will make it easier for her to lay the egg.
Sometimes an eggbound hen will lay an egg in the water.

However, if there 's a broken egg inside her, infection will occur and there's nothing that can be done.

 

[Shadrach]

If she is egg bound you can test for it by coating your forefinger in coconut oil and inserting it into the hens vent. You can probe up to the first knuckle on your finger. If the egg is there you will feel it.
When you withdraw your finger check your finger for any signs of egg shell that may have stuck to your finger.
If she has a broken egg in her vagina you can attempt to wash her vagina out with warm water very gently injected into her vent with a large capacity syringe.
Some will say you shouldn't do this because there is a risk of flushing shell further into the oviduct. Either way you take a risk.
I've done it a couple of times after being shown how by my vet. Both times the flush plus a bit of feeling around with my finger got the broken shell out and the hen returned to normal health and egg laying.

 

[Paddlefoot]

She’s now had two baths. I can feel the egg and she seems to enjoy the massaging, but it’s not moving. She relaxes totally in the water and falls asleep, but there’s been no movement on the egg front. It’s just so sad to see her like this. She’s refusing to eat or drink.

 

[coach723]

In addition to all that has been suggested so far, I would also give her some calcium, that will help with contractions to help her pass it. A calcium citrate +D is best, but a couple of tums can be given if you have that on hand.

 

[Paddlefoot]

In addition to all that has been suggested so far, I would also give her some calcium, that will help with contractions to help her pass it. A calcium citrate +D is best, but a couple of tums can be given if you have that on hand.

Just crush it up? Dilute I water and put in a syringe?

 

[coach723]

If it's a tablet or capsule, you can put it in her beak and she'll swallow it. You can break tums up to do that way also. Or you can grind it up and mix it in a bit of moistened feed if she'll eat it. I usually buy tablets and just pop one in the beak.

 

[Paddlefoot]

I’m happy to report she is still alive. The bound egg broke right after my last post and we were sure that was it, but she is fine now. She hasn’t laid again, but everything is working well. The only think still going on is her eye. It looks like maybe her third eyelid is staying shut? Her other eye is bright, she chatters at us, eats well, drinks well. We haven’t reintroduced her to the flock yet, but I’m wondering about the white eye.

 

[coach723]

Can you post some pictures of the eye?

 

[Paddlefoot]

These are the best I can get right now… the other eye is fine.