# Urgent!!! Help!!! Hen cannot lay eggs



## Christian (Feb 23, 2004)

I have a 3 year old hen that cannot lay eggs. She appears to be bloated. Can she be blocked some how? Is there a fix or will she just die?

Thanks


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## BFTrout (Sep 27, 2002)

If she's got a big gob of poo on her butt, then yes, she's backed up. take the garden hose to her butt. clean the poo off and put a little bag-balm on her butthole. 
is she still eating? ? if so and you still suspect she's backed up, put her in a separate cage and feed grass clippings and water. no chicken food. that should clean her out in a day or two. 
a 3yr old hen shouldn't be laying everyday anyway. . . . more like 1 or 2x's a week. she could also be getting broody and just sit in the nesting box for hours on end and pretend to incubate eggs. 

good luck
BFTrout


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

BFTrout said:


> ......... take the garden hose to her butt. clean the poo off and put a little bag-balm on her butthole......
> 
> BFTrout


Now there is a use for bag balm that I never thought of. 
Christian,
ThiS Should make a great video for youtube.

l & o


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## Rootsy (Nov 1, 2006)

When you say bloated do you mean the crop? Big bulge in the breast area?


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

A hen is egg bound when they cannot lay their egg. This maybe because;

the oviduct is too small for the egg to pass through,
the egg may have broken and cannot slip through or
the shell of the egg is too soft to let the egg pass through.
Young pullets sometimes find it difficult to lay the first few eggs and it is not unusual to find that the first few eggs that they lay are elongated in shape or speckled with blood.
Sometimes it is obvious that a hen is egg bound as they will be straining.
Egg binding can be relieved by gently massaging the egg out. If the egg breaks inside the hen then there maybe a risk of infection so the hens vent will need to be bathed.
Here are some links, good luck.
http://www.farmingfriends.com/index.php?tag=egg-bound
http://www.poultryhelp.com/eggbound.html
http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?p=7288


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

How's your pullet doing now?


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## Christian (Feb 23, 2004)

itchn2fish said:


> How's your pullet doing now?


She is still doing about the same. She has not passes an egg. We do not know what to do. We cannot afford to take her to a Vet. Time will tell. We feel bad, She is a beautiful Rhode Island Red.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

Maybe just put a rubber glove on and try to see waht's going on in the vent? Good luck.


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## Liv4Huntin' (May 24, 2000)

I was wondering if this was like with cows or horses where it's dependent on the size of the bull/stallion/rooster? Obviously I'm not that knowledgable about animal husbandry. Just curious. 
Thanks.
~ m ~


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## eddiejohn4 (Dec 23, 2005)

Hey I was wondering if you can give a hen an enema with a 60 ml syringe warm water and a little dish soap. that will lube and cause water to gather in the lower intestine. just a thought.


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## jjc155 (Oct 16, 2005)

sounds like it may be time to make up some chicken salad sandwiches:evil:.

Sorry couldnt resist, I have no idea how to deal with a chicken that is all back up, Coffee works for me, LOL

J-


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## WAR EAGLE (Apr 7, 2006)

Well is it going to be eggs for breakfast or chicken for dinner?


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