Turkey hen help!

[Poultrylady2022]

Hi everyone! I just recently signed up to the site although I’ve come here a lot for answers to questions! I need some help! I have a turkey hen that is about 10 months old and started laying a couple of months back. Two days ago, she was egg bound. We got the egg out, but she isn’t doing any better. She is still straining like there’s an egg, but I can’t feel anything when I feel inside her. She’s not eating or drinking. I’ve got her in the bathroom and I’ve given her a couple of epsom salt baths and I have her laying on a heating pad now with the lights off so she can rest. She has not pooped in days and I don’t know what else I can do to help her. I’ve been through a lot with her and don’t want to lose her, but I don’t want her to be suffering either. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks for any and all help!

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC. Is a vet an option?

 

[Poultrylady2022]

I don’t think there is a vet nearby that sees poultry. I can look online and see, but I’m sure it would be tomorrow before I could get her looked at if there even is one.

 

[casportpony]

Can you feel inside her vent to see if there is a shelled or shell-less egg?

After being eggbound for some time, many hens will have a second shell-less egg that gets stuck. To treat these, I tube lots of fluids to them and give them some calcium gluconate. Have you ever tube-fed before?

 

[Poultrylady2022]

When I put her in the bath earlier she looked like she had what would be the white of an egg coming out of her (sorry I don’t know the proper name for it) but I never saw anything that looked like a yolk. The only time she strains is when I feel inside her vent, but I don’t feel anything. No I have never tube fed before, but I would be more than willing to try! Anything I can do to help her I’ll do!

 

[Poultrylady2022]

Just an update she has had a couple of very small bowel movements the first was brown and the other was brown and white and they’re both watery but I imagine that’s because she hasn’t eaten anything. I put her in another bath and she pushed and it looked like she pushed out a little more poo I will feel in her vent again and see if I feel an egg.

 

[casportpony]

Can you get some aquarium air line and a 60 ml syringe?

 

[Poultrylady2022]

She drank a very small amount of water. It will be tomorrow before I can get that stuff but I’m afraid she won’t make it through the night. Im keeping my fingers crossed though!

 

[casportpony]

How's your hen?

 

[Poultrylady2022]

She passed away around lunch time today. I had finally got her to drink very small amounts of water last night. After doing some more research I think she had more wrong with her than just being egg bound. Her vent did not look like pictures I’ve seen online it wasn’t really red but it did look swollen and it had some kind of crusty stuff on it. I tried to scrub it to get it off but it wasn’t budging! I did the best I could but I guess it was just her time. Thank you for trying to help, I really appreciate it!