Author Topic: Eggbound Hen (Read 1531 times)

kitchen cottage · « **on:** August 08, 2012, 09:51:16 pm »

I picked up 6 ex battery hens on Saturday. The healthiest looking of the bunch now seems to be egg bound... well thats what someone said.

She's sitting down with her feathers out and does seem to be straining....

She was fine last night so this started sometime between then and about 4 pm when I saw her.

Warm baths were suggested, should I try this tonight.

I can't feel any egg in her but she is certainly uncomfortable.

I'm not calling a vet for her (google brings up a recommendation for a hysterectomy!) but I will cull her if I have too.

She is the nicest hen there!

Very friendly and easy to pick up.

in the hills · « **Reply #1 on:** August 08, 2012, 11:08:26 pm »

Hold over a bowl of boiling water ....... firmly

Vaseline around/just inside the vent
Gave mine a spoon of olive oil for good measure

Only had one hen with it but it worked really quickly

Good luck

kegs · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2012, 09:54:04 am »

I put my chicken in a bath of warm water for 10 minutes and as I emptied the bath of water she laid her egg. You can dry her afterwards with a hairdryer on the warm (not hot) setting which makes them fall asleep.

kitchen cottage · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2012, 11:44:34 am »

not sure she is eggbound. She seems to be straining lightly but i can't feel any egg. she just is sitting down most of the time and not moving...

chrismahon · « **Reply #4 on:** August 14, 2012, 08:39:34 pm »

Certainly sounds like egg bound KC. The heat from the water is supposed to relax the muscles, but just hold her over it not immerse her. Lubricate the inside of the vent with Olive Oil. Could however be egg peritonitis where the egg passes into the abdomen through a rupture in the ovaduct -no cure I'm afraid. Was she pooing OK?

Update would be helpful for our future reference.

Eve · « **Reply #5 on:** August 14, 2012, 10:08:38 pm »

Our ex-batts had that sometimes, exactly as you describe and always in the evening when trying to pass a soft shelled egg. We picked our ex-batts up a few months ago, and we did have a number of soft shelled and shell-less eggs the first few weeks.