Egg bound

[Karenhenlady]

My hen seems to be egg bound i have bathed her in epsom salts kept her comfortable and that day she laid an egg the following day she was behavingthe same again did everything the same again this time no egg any ideas? At my wits end now

 

[azygous]

A lot of egg binding occurs due to two eggs in the works. The first time I saw this was with an EE hen years ago. I treated her with a warm soak just as you did. She produced an egg. I wanted to give her time to recover from that and to rest, so I left her in the crate. An hour or two later, I came back to find she had passed another egg, this one without any shell.

Since then, I've had more hens suffer egg binding due to ovulating twice within a 25 hour cycle. Almost always one of the eggs lacks a shell, causing difficulty passing it. I've learned that the minute I suspect egg binding to give the hen a calcium tablet, 400-600mg, preferably with vitamin D3 plus minerals. This helps them pass the eggs more easily.

For stubborn cases that drag on, I use a heating pad on the lowest setting with a damp towel laid on top of it. The hen is placed on top of the damp warm towel so the moist heat can further aid in passing the egg. Lubricating the vent inside and out with a little vegetable oil or coconut oil helps, too.

 

[Karenhenlady]

A lot of egg binding occurs due to two eggs in the works. The first time I saw this was with an EE hen years ago. I treated her with a warm soak just as you did. She produced an egg. I wanted to give her time to recover from that and to rest, so I left her in the crate. An hour or two later, I came back to find she had passed another egg, this one without any shell.

Since then, I've had more hens suffer egg binding due to ovulating twice within a 25 hour cycle. Almost always one of the eggs lacks a shell, causing difficulty passing it. I've learned that the minute I suspect egg binding to give the hen a calcium tablet, 400-600mg, preferably with vitamin D3 plus minerals. This helps them pass the eggs more easily.

For stubborn cases that drag on, I use a heating pad on the lowest setting with a damp towel laid on top of it. The hen is placed on top of the damp warm towel so the moist heat can further aid in passing the egg. Lubricating the vent inside and out with a little vegetable oil or coconut oil helps, too.

The hen has now passed another egg but I had to get her up to go get something to eat and drink and I think she has gone back in the nesting box....she's seemed happy scratching about eating and drinking

 

[azygous]

Yes, that's how my two-egg hens behave after they get the second one out. What a relief! Your hen would be singing and dancing if chickens could do that.

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

@Karenhenlady do you live down the road from me? im glad the epsom soak worked the first go around. and im glad you found your way on here!!

 

[Karenhenlady]

@Karenhenlady do you live down the road from me? im glad the epsom soak worked the first go around. and im glad you found your way on here!!

Yes, that's how my two-egg hens behave after they get the second one out. What a relief! Your hen would be singing and dancing if chickens could do that.

she is still wanting to sit in the nesting box I don't know why

 

[Karenhenlady]

@Karenhenlady do you live down the road from me? im glad the epsom soak worked the first go around. and im glad you found your way on here!!

I'm not sure I live at the top of cone lane.......my hen has laid 2 eggs now but still wants to spend all day in the nesting box I have given her some calcium tonight to try to help her she is eating a little bit but I have to get her out and then she takes her self back in.......i wonder if this will be her life from now on?

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

are you in nc? acquaintance down the road from me had same issue and her name is Karen.

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

i dont know the name of her lane....

 

[azygous]

Can you take your hen out of the nest box and observe her behavior? What you're looking for is either normal behavior or a tendency toward being lethargic, signs of being in pain - tail held low and flat, the lower and flatter, the more pain a chicken is in. Is her appetite okay?

Next, examine her belly under her tail behind her legs. Is it normal or is it swollen? Any discharge from the vent of yellow mucous? Has she excreted any chunks of waxy material with her poop?

Then there is always the possibility that your hen is ovulating again and is ready to lay her next egg and she's back to normal. It's also a possibility she's still experiencing contractions from her double egg episode and that's what's making her feel the need to sit in the nest.

No, she will eventually get back to normal. This isn't going to be what her life will be.