Help - Egg bound hens

[Anonymous]

HI everyone,

I am having lots of problems with some ex free range girls I got in November. They have looked poor since I got them which isn't unusual ( I've had some before) as they are going into the molt but they have never really feathered up properly and they have not really laid many eggs. I had one die just after I got them which I just put down to the stress of moving ect. I notice a few weeks ago that some of them had rather dirty bottoms so I decided to give them some apple cider vinegar to help with treating any worm problem and after a day one died so I thought I would get flubenvet and chemically treat them. I did this and all seamed fine and three days after finishing the treatment one hen suddenly looked all hunched up in the morning and when I got back in the afternoon she looked like she was straining so I left her quietly and came back at tea time and she had died. that was the beginning of this week. All seamed to be fine and all the chickens were happy and glad to get a few scraps in the after a week of pellets only with the flubenvet. So I thought my problems were sorted.

Today I had another one looking all hunched up in the morning and this this afternoon she had died. This time I did more investigations and found an egg little bigger than usual but not a very large egg just inside her vent so she must have been egg bound. I am now really worried about the other 10 girls as today I have only had 3 eggs so quite a few are not laying and the most I have had before the last two died was 5. I don't want more of them having a problem. I have had ex free range hens from the same place and ex battery girls and never had this problem.

Has anyone had a similar problem or has any ideas what I can do.

Thanks so much,

Greenhen

 

[victorias poultry]

The birds need warmth, I have had a duck and a hen that has been egg bound and the following worked for me.

Plenty of vaseline around the vent , place warm hotwater bottle in box with towel over it, place bird in box and keep in dark place. Check and replace hot water bottle 4 hours later if no egg, check again in morning, should have an egg.e tried twice with 100% success

Hope this helps

Regards Sue

 

[podstable]

Only a thought could it be something else - just seems odd that so many are egg bound? Could they have an infection they are passing round or something else? Ros

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for the hepl.

They were all very happy and bright yesterday so hopefully no more will get egg bound. I hope they haven't got some sort of disease as I have a second pen with my two cockerels and a few older girls and the 3 babies I bred last year.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Greenhen