Worried about internal laying. Please advise

[emilysteng]

Hi all,

I'm worried about my hen - worried she could be egg bound or internally laying? I have tried reading about it on the forum but am a little confused.

She's not a regular layer, but will fairly regularly lay a clutch of eggs, which she hasn't done in awhile. She is a wild chicken that I feed but roams around completely free.

The worry is that she seems like she is laying but no eggs. She keeps looking for a place to nest, often going into our van and digging around. After awhile she gives up, is fairly calm again and goes on with her normal activities like she did lay an egg. But the next day or day after she will do the same thing again. I try to feel her belly but I don't really know what it's supposed to feel like. I don't think I feel any egg.

She used to lay in a box but doesn't like that box anymore and now always wants to go into the van to try to lay. I don't know what's so great about the van but everyday she is trying to go in there.

I tried to take some pictures of her behind the other day. But she didn't like it. She looks normal, not missing feathers or anything. But she does seem to be straining a bit when she poops and stuff. eating, drinking seems pretty normal.

What should I do? I'm really starting to get worried about her.

oops - meant to put this post in the emergencies/injuries forum. Hope I can get some answers here though.

 

[gamechicken]

she might stop laying they will do that they will stop laying for a wile then start back

 

[emilysteng]

I'm hoping she's just taking a break. But the thing that worries me is the constant acting like she needs to lay one and never having one come out. I'm thinking about taking her to the vet already. I did once before. Really wasn't that helpful but would an x-ray definitely rule out or confirm egg binding or internal laying? It costs alot but I'd be willing to do it for her.

She started laying maybe a year and a half ago. But her last clutch was I think in May or June.

She does seem to be a little different in her vent area. No bare areas or anything like that - maybe just carrying it a little lower? Things like that worry me.

 

[speckledhen]

She is probably not egg bound. She isn't standing like a penguin, upright. You'd have to lube up your finger and feel up the vent-the oviduct is upward, the intestines are downward. That kills fairly quickly. Could be she is laying internally, but you can't really know for sure without some way to see in there. Hard to say. Been through it many times. Sometimes, the abdomen seems bloated, sometimes, it does not. If she is, there isn't much that can be done short of hysterectomy/surgery to clean out the accumulated gunk.

 

[emilysteng]

Thanks speckled hen. I talked to one vet's office yesterday that treats chickens. Pretty much just said I'd have to bring her in to know anything for sure. I don't want to stress her out unnecessarily by bringing her in if not needed. She has a rooster companion - they are together 24/7 and I don't know what he'd do if I took her.

So an x-ray would be able to rule out internal laying right?

Are there any other symptoms of internal laying to look for? Anything I can do?

 

[gamechicken]

the egg might of broke in her that happens when the rooster rides her 2 hard

 

[speckledhen]

If she has egg peritonitis, you can use a shot-in-the-dark penicillin injections for a few days, but that won't permanently fix the problem, only may knock out some infection, if it's started up in there. If there is solid gunk, that may not resolve anything. Internal laying is not preventable, not curable, unfortunately. It's genetic/hormone based and mostly happens in the common hatchery stock like production reds, sex links, Wyandottes, RIRs, Buff Orps, Plymouth Rocks, etc. Almost every hen I lost to it was hatchery stock. The good breeder stock is made of stronger genetic stuff, apparently.


These threads may be helpful to you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=362422

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=195347

 

[emilysteng]

Thanks. Are egg periontitis and internal laying different?

She is not a hatchery bird though. Wild chicken - probably some game mix. I figure she is made of pretty strong stuff, being wild. I don't know.

She does seem a little less active to me. Staying in one area more than running around different areas like she usually does. Just don't know what to do. A year ago she had something wrong with her and the vet gave her some antibiotics and anitinflammatory meds. She didn't know what what wrong with her, but she got better from whatever it was.

Is an x-ray a good idea?

 

[emilysteng]

Just keep getting more worried everyday. she is really a pet to me - I love her as much as I love my cat.

today she just seems rather blah. Eating and drinking and stuff but not her usual perky self. Even when she was catching geckos - her favorite thing to do - she wasn't as into it as she usually is. Didn't even want all her blueberries.

For now I made an appointment with a vet who supposedly sees quite a few chickens - for thursday afternoon.

Today she seemed to not like her rooster. He caught her a gecko and was calling her to eat it and she ignored him. And she doesn't like to eat with him now either - She seems to eat more if he is not around. He is not an aggressive rooster. I always thought he seemed to take pretty good care of her. I do see him get on her but he seems pretty gentle even though she protests.

 

[gamechicken]

yea she a game looks 2 be a red and something else mixed but pure game