Quick Fix for Eggbound Egg (pls tell me if this was bad)

[SarahGfa]

I had a hen who was eggbound all morning. Waddling a few steps, squatting, straining, and only clear liquid came out. She had pulled out all the feathers around her vent.

I took her in, gave her a calcium antacid in yoghurt. She ate a tiny bite, then refused food and water after that. Put preparation H in her vent and could feel the egg maybe an inch away. Nothing passed after an hour, so I soaked her in warm water. Another 2 hours and still nothing.

Then I had to leave and didn't want to leave her like that for the rest of the day. I put vaseline on my finger, reached up to the top of the egg, and as she pushed I pried the egg out. A few minutes later she was outside running around with the flock.

I have never seen this recommended as a treatment for egg binding, but it was so quick and easy. How come no one does this?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I had a hen who was eggbound all morning. Waddling a few steps, squatting, straining, and only clear liquid came out. She had pulled out all the feathers around her vent.

I took her in, gave her a calcium antacid in yoghurt. She ate a tiny bite, then refused food and water after that. Put preparation H in her vent and could feel the egg maybe an inch away. Nothing passed after an hour, so I soaked her in warm water. Another 2 hours and still nothing.

Then I had to leave and didn't want to leave her like that for the rest of the day. I put vaseline on my finger, reached up to the top of the egg, and as she pushed I pried the egg out. A few minutes later she was outside running around with the flock.

I have never seen this recommended as a treatment for egg binding, but it was so quick and easy. How come no one does this?

Same hen as this?https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-explosive-watery-poops-bruised-comb.1290448/

I'm glad you were able to help her get the egg out!

Reason why it's not recommended?
You risk damaging the oviduct.
The egg could break and the contents spill into the oviduct which can cause infection, a broken egg shell can also cut/damage the oviduct/vagina.
Pulling the wrong place or the wrong time it possible that you could pull the oviduct further out and cause a prolapse.

There is usually a reason for egg binding. Diet, dehydration, insufficient calcium and stress. Those are few things you may want to look into.

Hope that helps

 

[SarahGfa]

Same hen as this?https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-explosive-watery-poops-bruised-comb.1290448/

I'm glad you were able to help her get the egg out!

Reason why it's not recommended?
You risk damaging the oviduct.
The egg could break and the contents spill into the oviduct which can cause infection, a broken egg shell can also cut/damage the oviduct/vagina.
Pulling the wrong place or the wrong time it possible that you could pull the oviduct further out and cause a prolapse.

There is usually a reason for egg binding. Diet, dehydration, insufficient calcium and stress. Those are few things you may want to look into.

Hope that helps

No, it's actually a different hen. I didn't get a chance to check that one's crop this morning because it was raining and I went outside later than usual I will check tomorrow!

Thank you, I guess I got lucky pulling the egg out. There's no reason I could see for the egg binding (they have a big dish of oyster shell and the egg was normal size). Maybe the flock might be sick due to all the wet weather. There are only 9 birds and usually they have no problems.

 

[BrandonVercnocke]

Sounds like a pretty savage way to handle the problem. I like it! Don’t know if I could stick my lubed up finger in a chicken quite yet but....let’s see what the future holds

 

[SarahGfa]

well shoot, it happened again to the same hen. Eggbound again, gave her half a Tums, prep H, and she just kept pushing. Both times, I could feel the egg right there at the vent, less than half an inch away. So I stuck my finger in and pushed it out from the inside.

This will sound weird, but I think she forgot how to lay eggs. Starting this year, she stopped using the nestbox and all of her eggs have been in random places in the middle of the yard, under the roost, wherever she happens to be when it pops out. Really bizarre.

 

[Chickassan]

I don't pop out eggs, but I did invest in some astroglide for the girls.
Protocol is to put the AG to the vent amd squirt a semi generous amount inside...and then we wait.
No kidding, the next strain that egg is out of there with no finger necessary.
Just take care not to get the warming or numbing AG, just plain or the all natural kind.
And don't do it if you have company, last hen I lubed a Mary Kay lady was here and I think it may have put her off eggs.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

well shoot, it happened again to the same hen. Eggbound again, gave her half a Tums, prep H, and she just kept pushing. Both times, I could feel the egg right there at the vent, less than half an inch away. So I stuck my finger in and pushed it out from the inside.

This will sound weird, but I think she forgot how to lay eggs. Starting this year, she stopped using the nestbox and all of her eggs have been in random places in the middle of the yard, under the roost, wherever she happens to be when it pops out. Really bizarre.

What type of food/treats do you feed?
When you were handling her, did you notice is she has a full abdomen, maybe quite a bit of fat or some swelling/bloat?
You may want to read up on some of the causes of egg binding.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms/
https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/06/egg-bound-hens-how-to-recognize-treat.html

 

[SarahGfa]

I don't pop out eggs, but I did invest in some astroglide for the girls.
Protocol is to put the AG to the vent amd squirt a semi generous amount inside...and then we wait.

astroglide is brilliant!

 

[SarahGfa]

What type of food/treats do you feed?
When you were handling her, did you notice is she has a full abdomen, maybe quite a bit of fat or some swelling/bloat?
You may want to read up on some of the causes of egg binding.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms/
https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/06/egg-bound-hens-how-to-recognize-treat.html

They have layer pellets and oyster shell, but they free range and eat very little feed. I dont think she is fat or bloated. I actually thought she felt bony down there as I was feeling for the egg.
Maybe it is possible she does not have enough calcium. She has never laid a soft egg, but I have never seen her touch the oyster shell either.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They have layer pellets and oyster shell, but they free range and eat very little feed. I dont think she is fat or bloated. I actually thought she felt bony down there as I was feeling for the egg.
Maybe it is possible she does not have enough calcium. She has never laid a soft egg, but I have never seen her touch the oyster shell either.

It might be a good idea to get some calcium into her, but if her egg shells are nice and hard, it could be genetic and there's nothing you can do but continue to monitor her.