What is "egg bound?"

[Helen]

This morning I found another small liver colored discharge. One book I have for reference suggests cancer?? I have decided to take her to the vet. The bill-paying side of me says there is no chicken worth the cost, especially here on an island where everything costs sooo much. But she is such a sweet hen, and if I'm going to keep raising a few chickens, it is good to know what symptoms mean what!

Call it the cost of education, as well as care for the animal! Thanks for all of your help.

 

[goatkeepers]

I am also new to owning chickens so I have NO IDEA what to tell you, unfortunately. But please tell us what the vet said! Maybe this info can help save one of our chickens one day.

I'm interested to know what it is... Best of luck!

 

[Helen]

The update on my sweet red hen is this: I didn't keep the liver colored discharge. If I had, perhaps a lab test could have been done on it to see if, indeed it is cancerous, or a malignant tumor of some kind. The vet did indicate that the liver-colored mass does sound like cancer.

I have a book called "Barnyard in your Backyard" which talkes about uterine cancer in hens over 2 years old as a possibility. Interestingly enough, the book indicates that a hen might lay oddly shaped eggs if she has this condition. This spring we have gotten funny shaped eggs about once a week. Maybe they're hers?

In any case, today, she seems to be feeling much better. She even picked up her pace to grab some scratch with the other hens, which I haven't seen her do in a while. The swelling in her abdomen has gone down a bit. The best of my hopes is that perhaps the masses, whatever they were, were causing her problems and maybe she'll get better. She is crooning again, and seems much more comfortable.

 

[LuannKeller]

A nice warm bath often helps - they seem to love it - mine just float along like little ducks and it has brought them back - particularly one gal with a membrane egg stuck in her vent.

The advice some people give is to get rid of sick birds, I think your flock benefits from recovered birds so I always nurse them through Mareks, Coryzda, etc. I think those recovered birds help everyone else build an immunity - just a theory but my birds stay healthy. The few sick birds I deal with are those that I buy and I try to nurse them through whatever they have.

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'm glad that she's feeling better.

 

[tiki244]

GOOD TO HEAR SHE IS DOING BETTER,,,,,,,,I hope it keeps up

 

[FisherMOM]

what ever happened with your hen Helen?

I have a sweet leghorn that I believe is egg bound and stumbled across this post.

I, myself, am still searching for symptoms on here for egg bound.