# Please help - I think my hen is eggbound



## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

She definitely laid yesterday but today we were missing one. She's been staying still in one part of the garden with her tail feathers pointed down most of the day and her comb has gone quite floppy. She hasn't been tempted by any food other than a small bit of the fruity corner of a muller yogurt and she's been pushing out bits of egg (no shell) from what we can see. 
I can feel what i think is an egg between her legs. We put her in a sink of hot water for about an hour, put a hot water bottle in the laying box and have lubed her up (much fighting over who would do this!) and she was a little more bouncy when we put her outside but soon went back to standing in one place.

She's now gone to bed a long while before the other hens. Is there any hope for her? 

She's my favourite hen


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## piggybaker (Feb 10, 2009)

OH Hun I am so sorry,, I don't know much about this situation, I do hope someone get to you soon,,

although from what i understand you have to break the egg inside her to get the shell out but i believe you have to know excactly what to do

Practical Poultry

try this web site, if the link doesn't work type it in,, good site.


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## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

To update:
This morning Fatty was the first one out of the shed, the first one to eat when I put food down, her crest is a bit more upright, her tail is upright and she's running around like normal, following me everywhere.
We had 2 brown eggs which are gio and larrys and no blue or green ones so she definitely hasn't laid one. We can't see any egg bits either so she hasn't laid a shell-less egg. 
Will post back later after my driving lesson


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## piggybaker (Feb 10, 2009)

BattleKat said:


> To update:
> This morning Fatty was the first one out of the shed, the first one to eat when I put food down, her crest is a bit more upright, her tail is upright and she's running around like normal, following me everywhere.
> We had 2 brown eggs which are gio and larrys and no blue or green ones so she definitely hasn't laid one. We can't see any egg bits either so she hasn't laid a shell-less egg.
> Will post back later after my driving lesson


she is not eating them is she????? I understand they can leave no trace of an egg when they decide to eat them


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## Jowan (Dec 14, 2009)

Is she loosing any feathers? All chooks malt and I know 3 of mine are doing it right now. When they do so they go off the laying. But even when they are in full health they dont always lay everyday. They can eat them though and not leave any trace. Make sure they have plenty of grit as sometimes if they dont eat much a shell wont form so there is nothing to lay.


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## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

She seems absolutely fine now and is all squishy and empty. No egg since then, afaik she isn't eating them as I haven't seen her do so (have spent most of the last few days in the garden doing things and they tend to stick by me).

They have access to grit and oyster shell all the time. No sign of moulting either.

mystery!


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## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

sometime between last night and this morning she's laid two shell-less eggs up in the bit where they sleep.
going to give her a week to see if it settles then go to the vet I think.


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## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

For anyone that might wonder what happened, she laid an egg this morning so hopefully she'll be back to normal now.
:thumbup:


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## HorseyGirly (Apr 23, 2010)

I don't think she will be back to normal for a few weeks. One of the family hens Victoria always used to lay shell-less eggs but if i picked her up just before i could feel her pushing so i used to put her on top of the workshop unit and i would run in and get a rubber glove and pull it out so i would say she is not egg bound i would say she is just not getting to food a lot. Plus have you get a cockerel? because he might be mating with her a lot.

Hope you find out soon.

HorseyGirly

p.s. Victoria is my fave hen.


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## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

our hens free range and get endless amounts of layers pellets so she's definitely eating fine and we don't have a cockerel. Really don't know what caused it, I suppose just because she's young.


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## BattleKat (Oct 26, 2009)

I thought I would update this thread with the reason fatty stopped laying because I personally found it interesting....

She's had a sex change. 
Fatty, our egg laying hen has turned in to fatty the cockerell who has a huge comb, massive wattles, mounts the other hens and occassionally has a go at crowing.


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