kind of egg bound, maybe?

[RUNuts]

Have an 8 month old leghorn (Ideal 236) cross. She is one of the top hens and feisty. 3 days ago she was not acting normally. I caught and felt her abdomen and there is an egg there. Massaged and rubbed. She is eating and pooping - witnessed both and her bottom is dirty and getting dirtier.

I collected 16 eggs from 18 hens. So 2 of the 8 leghorns did not lay a white egg. The brown layers all paying rent. I'm guessing this one is not laying. Did get 7 white eggs earlier this week.

Today I massaged a little harder to push the egg and it shifted up into her rib cage. Vaseline in the vent. When I let her go she is moving well, but a little slower than normal. Holding her head down (sucked in) and not running around like normal.

@aart @casportpony @KikisGirls - anyone have a suggestion?

 

[aart]

@WVduckchick @Ravynscroft

 

[Ravynscroft]

Separate her so you can monitor whether she passes the egg or not... giving her bottom a soak in warm water can help too, just make sure she dries off well and stays in warm until she is completely dry... give her some extra calcium, that will help her pass the egg, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate or crushed Tums if that's all you can find... I use coconut oil instead of vaseline, for me I have found it works better since it has a low melting point...

 

[WVduckchick]

Also be very careful not to push the egg too hard. You definitely don't want it yo break inside there.

 

[RUNuts]

Thank you for all the attention.

Agree - It took me a while before I pushed that hard. At what point does "gentle massage" turn into enough? Just kept wiggling it to stimulate something.

Since she is spry enough to keep dodging me, I'm guessing she is still getting along.

I've checked the other hens and I cannot feel any eggs in them. If not egg bound, what else can this be?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Personally, I don't really do any massaging... I oil them up, warm soak for their bottom, and increase their calcium... calcium not on helps the shells but also helps the muscles to contract properly to pass the egg... again, I would absolutely separate her for monitoring... if she is eggbound and doesn't pass the egg, it can kill her... monitoring is just a good way to see exactly what is and is not going on...

 

[RUNuts]

I'll set up a small kennel in a sheltered section and monitor. Food, water and add calcium. Thank you.

 

[Kiki]

Extra dose of calcium.....it COULD be that she laid internally. (no bueno)

 

[RUNuts]

Um, how do you tell if they lay internally?

Doing the GLOVED finger in the vent (ew!) with coconut grease and I feel the egg and membrane between it and the exit. The egg was middle earlier today and at the back today. I mean right under the vent and pushing up on it. Something is holding it in.

I'm convinced she will have a back up. She is losing condition. No egg laid today from her. She is isolated and not happy. The breasts are getting thinner. Food and water scattered, so she ate BOSS, apple and eggshell. Maybe a teaspoon of BOSS in the bottom of the bowl with feed on top. Apple pieces and crushed egg shell gone. She is eating. She got calcium. She is not happy.

7 white leghorn eggs from the other 7. 8 brown eggs from the 10 others. A cloudy, mild January day. Temp hovering below 60°F.

Any chance of recovery? At what point do we stop hoping?

Going off to search internal laying.

 

[RUNuts]

OK - not internal laying since I can feel the shell. Back to egg bound. Is it possible the uterus got twisted? If this is like bloat in a dog, it is time.