help needed ,for egg bound hen

[tonyg]

help needed for egg bound hen ,

[tonyg]

she is a young hen ,been laying well for 3 months ,then stopped ,iv had her in the bath ,put olive in her food ,entered her vent ,but could not feel an egg ,she,s eating and looks the same as always,but she in the coup all the time ,and she is always straining ,im so worred about her ,as anyone got some advice for me please

[Nicos]

Sorry to hear of your worries.
I'm no expert but can try and help until someone else offers help

When you say 'straining' can you see her vent opening and closing?
Could she have something stuck in her gullet and her 'gulping' may look like she's straining?
What did you feel in her vent- could you feel her straining?
Has she had any discharge from her vent?
Does she have a small prolapse from her vent?

[RichmondHens]

The description of straining certainly sounds like egg boundness (it's not as common as people think and a lot of people do think that any unwell hen could be egg bound when it's not). I would suggest trying the warm bath again, just stand her in the warm (not hot) water deep enough so it covers the vent and place your hand on her back to reassure her and keep her still. She may need to be in there for up to an hour. Egg boundness is caused by a type of cramp and the idea of a warm bath is to try and help relax the muscles. Make sure that when you take her out you dry her off well before returning her to the coop otherwise she will chill. Alternatively you could leave her somewhere warm and dark overnight (a cardboard box filled with straw and covered with wire mesh or similar to keep her in and other creatures out) and return her to the coop in the morning. I would suggest though that if she is no better by Monday and you are still concerned then a trip to the vet for a more thorough examination should be considered.

[tonyg]

she as no discharge ,and i could not get in her vent ,because she was so tight ,thanks for your reply

[tonyg]

thanks for your advice ,i will try the bath again ,and i will keep her in a box for the night ,i will let you know how things go ,thanks ,tony

[Nicos]

How is she doing?

[tonyg]

still the same ,she,s eating well ,i keeped her on her own last night ,today i will try the bath ,will keep you informed,thanks

[tonyg]

my other hen ,as not layed for two days ,but she,s out all the time ,could the hen who,s always in the coup be broody? because she was sitting on the other hens egg ,im very new to keeping hens .

[tonyg]

iv taken her out of the coup and shut the door ,fingers crossed ,she will be ok ,i love my hens ,silly i know ,but they are part of the family

[tonyg]

i think i may have found ,the reason for her behahiour, after reading up ,it look likes she broody ,i have shut the coup door ,and she out and about ,digging for worms and being her normal self ,so im feeling a lot better about her now ,thanks for your advice ,will keep you informed of her progress tony

[veggiechicken]

Was she a bit stroppy when you tried to take her off the nest? That's a sure sign of broodiness.
Hens are family - no doubts there

[Glutton4...]

Tony, I think you need to do some reading! You really are not likely to have a Broody at this time of year, I would be very surprised if that were the case. They do, however, often go off lay this time of year, mine have, and if they do lay all year round, which they may, they probably won't lay every day through the winter. It varies quite widely between different breeds. All Hens vents will 'pulse' when you look at them, and there is a big difference between this and 'straining.' I'd suggest you do some research, around this forum, where you will learn more about Chooks than you ever thought possible! Meanwhile, I hope she's OK.

[tonyg]

she seems to be fine now ,i dont let her in the coup ,and she is about causing trouble again ,i will keep the coup shut during the day ,for a few more days ,but fingers crossed she will be ok ,im learning more and more ,about keeping hens everyday,thanks for all your input .tony

[jimred]

Tony, I think you need to do some reading! You really are not likely to have a Broody at this time of year, I would be very surprised if that were the case. They do, however, often go off lay this time of year, mine have, and if they do lay all year round, which they may, they probably won't lay every day through the winter. It varies quite widely between different breeds. All Hens vents will 'pulse' when you look at them, and there is a big difference between this and 'straining.' I'd suggest you do some research, around this forum, where you will learn more about Chooks than you ever thought possible! Meanwhile, I hope she's OK.

Iv got a broody Silkie at the moment!