Egg bound, or...?

[utefan47]

These are excellent antidotes and sharing real stories about what works and what doesn't is crucial. I've no doubt calcium works..I just like to take a deep drive into the action of why and how to bring additional understanding. I really appreciate you sharing real events. Thank you.

 

[Jonessa]

To be perfectly honest, I don't know exactly how calcium works to increase contractions, therefore enabling a hen who is struggling with a stubborn egg to get it out, but over all these years, many of us here have found it to work in a very high number of cases of egg binding. In fact, I had to use it on a hen of mine just last night at dark. She had been in the nest for several hours trying to lay an egg. It's happened to her before, and the calcium tablet always gives her the edge she needed to get the egg out.

Still no egg, but she seems okay - pooping, eating meal worms and scrambled egg, just hanging out quietly in her crate. Is there anything more I can do for her? How odten should I give the calcium?

 

[azygous]

You can give her a second calcium dose. And be sure she's drinking water. It's crucial she stay hydrated or her condition will worsen.

You can put a little sugar in the water to encourage her and it will have the advantage of elevating her glucose and keeping her stable,

 

[Jonessa]

Update for those who are interested: after trying Epsom salts baths and calcium and seeing no improvement and no egg, but also no decline, I decided to try her back out with the other girls. That was three days ago. She's a little slower than usual and her posture in a little off; her poops are runny; but she's out and about, talks to me when I visit, can get up onto the roost, and is eating and drinking. Soooo... I'm not sure what else to do for her, except maybe try another dose of calcium. I can still feel the egg.

 

[azygous]

The calcium is key. It can take several days of calcium to move the egg, so continue it.