What is "Egg-bound" and How to Treat It

Luckily all of the ladies on the Cunningham hobby farm have been laying everyday straight for about 10 weeks with no noticed issues.  The first small brown egg was discovered on a rainy Sunday afternoon in early November - and we were clucking with pride ALMOST as loudly as the proud hen! :)

Never having been around chickens before divining in, I get a lot of my information by subscribing to chicken and hobby farm groups via Facebook.  One of the most disturbing aliments that I've seen discussed has been something know as Egg Binding or being Egg Bound.  I pray I never have this issue in my flock, but it should be good to be educated on something that could easily kill my precious girls.  If you too are interested in learning how to save the life of your hens if this happens, please read on!

Common reasons a hen can become egg bound:

1. The egg is just too big for the pelvis

2. Not enough calcium in the diet (calcium is required for muscle retraction)

3. The hen is too weak from some other condition (or too fat) which could be nutrition or illness related.

4. Dehydration and the part which moves around the egg as it is laid is too dry and stuck to it preventing it from getting out. (http://www.keepingchickensnewsletter.com/site/egg-bound-chicken-symptoms-and-treatment)

Egg Bound

Scary right?! And all easily occurring issues, so how do you know that you may have a chicken that is egg bound?

1. Repeated visits to the nest and/or trying to lay an egg for hours and becoming distressed. 

2. Lethargic and 'droopy'. If you have noticed your hen acting strangely in this way (you may even get alerted to it by one of her coop mates who has raised the alarm) you can check for egg bound by looking at, and massaging around her bottom area for an egg shaped lump.

So god-forbid you DO have an Egg Bound hen, what now?! Will she die? 

A vet will probably be able to help the best - IF you can find one that will treat a chicken and not just advise you to put her down. 

Being a promoter of doing it yourself and as naturally as possible :) Here are some 'at home' methods to fixing the issue. 

If she is still walking about and relatively happy, then giving her some electrolytes will help hydrate and will also give calcium. 

Apply some lubricant to the area to help the egg exit easier and give her a nice warm area to relax for a while. If she is used to being handled and doesn't find it too stressful then submerging her bottom area in warm water and gently massaging the area for about 30 minutes may help relax the muscles. An alternative to that would be a warm flannel held over the area. She needs to be kept warm and comfortable.

If the egg is physically too big for the pelvis then it will be impossible to encourage out and the only other option really is to collapse the egg by pricking it with a large syringe (large enough to pull in the contents of the egg). EEK! Afterwards let her relax on her own with fluids and calcium and she should eventually pass the remaining egg - it can take anywhere from an hour to a day. 

Be ADVISED: One risk with this method is that it is possible that a sharp edge of shell may cut the uterus. Usually the shell would collapse inwards so it shouldn't cut anything but it is a possibility.

If the cause of the egg becoming stuck is a small pelvis then it is almost certainly hereditary and prevention may not be possible unless it is the eggs themselves which are unusually large for that particular hen. Sometimes jumbo eggs can be the result of feeding too much meat/protein so if you feel that may be the case then cutting back on those elements may help minimize the chance of a large egg becoming stuck again. If the cause of the egg binding is a lack of calcium then crushed oyster shells may help (vitamin D is also needed to help the calcium be absorbed). In theory there should be enough calcium and the other vitamins and nutrients needed present in a balanced layers feed so supplements may not be necessary. If you do supplement and notice the egg shells getting pimples and/or pin holes appearing that may indicate that there is now too much calcium/vitamin D in the diet.

Eggs Galore!

Okay, so as I said before, I'm PRAYING I never see this issue in person, but I feel a little bit more prepared to help my ladies remain healthy and happy IF I ever do run across it.  Hope you do too! 

Good Luck! 

Sarah