Guessing Egg bound - Anything else to do?

[FamilyofThree]

One of our Rhode Island Reds isn't doing well. She is just shy of two years. She spent a night in a layer and we found her still there in the morning with all the signs of being egg bound including panting and her vent continually contracting. We separated her into our recovery spot in the garage with feed and water. We have tried two warm magnesium baths (which she seemed to actually enjoy and ate/drank more during them). That's when I took this picture. I haven't managed to get much down her... a half teaspoon of yogurt, two slices of strawberry, about a tablespoon of scrambled egg over the last two days, and only about a quarter of a Tums mixed with the yogurt before she completely refused it. I managed to get a little more water in her by soaking some bread in it. We got about a pinch of it in her. We also tried gently lubricating her vent with petroleum jelly, which did trigger some runny yellowish poop to come out. She has pooped a bit more on her own... more white and black looking, though still on the runny side. She is looking gradually worse and worse. There are no vets around here who will see chickens. Is there anything else we can do?

 

[StinkyAcres]

Can you get some Calcium Citrate+D3 tablets from Walmart? You need to make sure she gets the calcium. It is easy to do with most chickens. Open their beak, pop the calcium in, then close it and let her swallow it.

Have you felt an egg inside of her? Does her abdomen feel like a balloon?

 

[FamilyofThree]

Can you get some Calcium Citrate+D3 tablets from Walmart? You need to make sure she gets the calcium. It is easy to do with most chickens. Open their beak, pop the calcium in, then close it and let her swallow it.

Have you felt an egg inside of her? Does her abdomen feel like a balloon?

I can't get her to eat the calcium tablet. She is just holding food in her beak without swallowing if she doesn't want it or even if she does and it is larger than a pea. Yes, her abdomen seems swollen and tight. I can't tell if there's an egg. I am rather new to all this still.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I can't get her to eat the calcium tablet. She is just holding food in her beak without swallowing if she doesn't want it or even if she does and it is larger than a pea. Yes, her abdomen seems swollen and tight. I can't tell if there's an egg. I am rather new to all this still.

If you place the tablet far enough back in her throat and close her beak and massage her throat she should swallow it. If her abdomen is swollen the prognosis is not good, I'm afraid, as it could be egg yolk peritonitis or ascites.

 

[FamilyofThree]

If you place the tablet far enough back in her throat and close her beak and massage her throat she should swallow it. If her abdomen is swollen the prognosis is not good, I'm afraid, as it could be egg yolk peritonitis or ascites.

Thank you

 

[FamilyofThree]

I was able to get the tablet down her by breaking it into 4 pieces and following your instructions. Thank you so much. I learned something that I may be able to use in the future, though hopefully not too soon again!

 

[StinkyAcres]

I was able to get the tablet down her by breaking it into 4 pieces and following your instructions. Thank you so much. I learned something that I may be able to use in the future, though hopefully not too soon again!

Happy I could help. I really hope the calcium helps her!

 

[FamilyofThree]

She seems a touch more energetic this morning. She has pooped a bit more. (See picture.) She actually sipped a little fresh water on her own when I held it up to her and ate another strawberry slice one tiny bit at a time as I hand fed her. (She had stopped eating completely last night before we got the calcium tablet down her.) We gave her more calcium today. Still no egg coming out yet though.