[jackieand glenn]

here i go again. need more help but knew just where to ask.
i have 4 pol hens, 2 have started laying. when i went to shut them up i found one of the girls huddled up under a tree, when i picked her up and felt round she was wet around her vent and it was opened. could this mean she is one of the new layers or egg problem inside. i will see what shes like tomorrow if the same i could put her in a run on own to see if she lays but somehow i think somethings wrong. the others havent been like this at all. hope someone could put my mind at rest, i love them so much , they are like my babies.

[dinosaw]

It does sound like your hen could be egg bound, it can happen when laying for the first time as the egg is often a softie, you may find a soft shelled egg in the coop tomorrow as they can drop out during the night (hopefully). If she is still sitting around tomorrow, has wet feathers around the vent and the vent is spasming excessively then I would recommend putting some vaseline or oil on a finger and gently lubricating her, dont push your finger up too far though, follow this by putting her in a sink of warm water for ten minutes or so to relax her muscles and the egg will hopefully pass within a couple of hours, i would keep her isolated during this time in case the effort of pushing the egg out causes a prolapse.   

[jackieand glenn]

hi there. thank you so much, had heard of warm water before but as i havent had this problem before just wanted to no if  it sounded to anyone else there could be a problem.
i had cickens years ago as a kid but cant remember so many god dam problems. i love them so much and hate it when things not good for them. will do as your said and see how she goes. anymore useful help would be gratefully received. jackiexx

[dinosaw]

Please do let me know how you get on, we had an egg bound hen earlier this summer and it was quite stressful but the treatment I described helped it to lay in around 1-2 hours, she actually passed two eggs, one no shell and and a short while later one soft shell, no wonder she was looking so miserable!, anyway good luck with your hen.

[jackieand glenn]

hi, i dint need to do anything, nature worked it out for hen. next morning she was back to normal and i fold a soft egg shell in coop. she seems well again, fingers crossed.

[dinosaw]

Great news!

[joyfull]

great news, just check that they have a good supply of crushed oyster shell to help make strong shells