My hen is lethargic, not eating, can't stand. Is she egg bound?

Thanks for reaching out about Phil, and a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and help. A egg is often palpable in the lower coelom, near the cloaca (but not always). Using olive oil can be difficult and can cause more damage, so is not recommended. Providing a warm nest area (heat support) and offering oral water can give some energy. Good luck.

This sounds like Petunia may be ill or suffering from a nutrition deficiency if she wasn't fed a balanced diet for chickens or allowed to forage to supplement her feeding. I would seek out veterinary care right away if home treatments have not helped and she is worsening.

Soak her in a warm Epsom salt bath for about 30 minutes. The water should be deep enough to fully submerge her vent. Afterwards, dab a bit of olive oil or vegetable oil around her vent. this may help her pass the egg. if she still cannot pass it, she will need to be seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating domestic fowl.

Hello. It is very common to see reproductive disease in chickens including salpingitis & egg yolk peritonitis. If you could bring her indoors where it is a bit cooler, feed her nutritious foods such as cornbread, cooked eggs, even a bit ( not much ) of canned cat food & see if she perks up. Many of these birds are actually in quite a bit of pain, so if there is any way to have her seen by a vet, this would be best. X-rays are often taken in these cases to evaluate the internal organs or see if she is actually egg bound. There is a lot we know about chickens, but sometimes not much we can do to save them. Hope you can have her evaluated soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like your hen is very sick and needs to see a veterinarian as soon as possible. This may be due to a gastrointestinal issue or infection for example, among many other possibilities. I highly recommend you consider having her evaluated as soon as possible so that therapy can be started right away. Best of luck!

I would be concerned if it keeps happening. This could be due to an issue such as the wrong nutrition -- a good layer feed along with an additional calcium supplement should be enough nutritionally to prevent this -- or an issue with the reproductive tract itself. Older hens can develop tumors and other reproductive issues that may cause chronic egg-binding, and other underlying health issues or illnesses may as well. Younger hens may not lay consistently-sized eggs yet which could cause problems or irregular laying, which may improve over time as they get used to laying. If the problem is persisting, having a vet evaluate her is a good idea.

She could have another egg stuck in her, it's very common in birds and it is called being egg bound, you will need to take her to an avian vet specialist urgently otherwise she is not likely to survive.