Hen walking like penguin, laying down a lot. Help!!

[Bri916]

My hen is named Squirley, she's a couple of years old now and we think she's a black Andalusian but can't be sure. She has been walking like a penguin for the past couple of days, but it's been pretty mild and we couldn't tell if something was wrong. Today she's standing completely upright and walks mostly vertical and kind of waddles. However, she barely walks. She's been laying down most of the day. She's usually very skittish, but today when my younger sister walked up to her it took her much longer to walk away, and then still it was slowly. A couple of months ago she exhibited the same behavior, but we thought it was worms. She got much thinner then and we saw little white things squirming in her poop. After a little bit inside she got better and was able to go back to her flock. This time we haven't seen any worms, and she seems very tired. Any ideas on what might help her?

 

[Aapomp831]

That’s a classic sign of being eggbound - standing like a penguin and pulsating the tail up and down. You need to take action quickly; a warm epsom bath to try and relax her. You can also insert a gloved finger gently into the vent and try and feel for an egg. Also, calcium tablets like tums help in this situation.

 

[Bri916]

Thank you so much! How often should I bathe her, or does one bath usually help?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Lasp egg?

 

[Bri916]

How do I tell if it's a lasp egg or eggbound? Would an epsom soak help both?

 

[dawg53]

The other poster meant "lash" egg which does not apply. Your hen is eggbound. Soak her in warm water up to her sides. The warm water will relax her. Gently massage her underside front to rear while she is soaking. This will encourage her to move the egg along. Do this for about 30 minutes. Then put a little olive oil just inside her vent. It will help her lay the stuck egg easier. Continue soaking as necessary until she lays an egg.

 

[MGG]

I agree, sounds like she's eggbound. Don't let her drink the Epsom salt water, but yes, soak her. It will help. Do you have any tums?

 

[Bri916]

We don't have any tums. I soaked her in a warm bath and now she's resting in a dark room, hopefully she lays that egg soon. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[MGG]

We don't have any tums. I soaked her in a warm bath and now she's resting in a dark room, hopefully she lays that egg soon. Thanks so much for your help!

Ok! Hopefully she passes it, fingers crossed. Soak her every hour or two. Be careful not to rupture the egg by picking her up hard or letting her thrash around.
Keep us posted!

 

[Bri916]

Update: We don't think she's eggbound anymore, she just pooped and we aren't feeling any eggs. Her abdomen is swollen and she's still pretty lethargic. Any other possibilities?