Egg bound?

[HENS-and-MARES]

I have a khaki Campbell who just started laying about a week ago, and she hasn’t lates an egg in three days, she randomly sits and looks like she’s trying to lay an egg, and walks a LITTLE lopsided. Is she egg bound?

 

[KaleIAm]

Hi, sorry to hear about your duck. I've had a lot of reproductive issues with my ducks.

My duck Gingersnap used to get egg bound regularly and I took her to the vet. They verified her diagnosis with radiographs. Her symptoms were: not keeping up and foraging with the rest of the flock, walking stiffly and more upright, lying down with her tail bobbing gently when she would normal be doing other things. When it got bad she couldn't walk at all.

I took her to the vet at least every 3 weeks (sometimes more than once a week), they did x-rays, and sent me home with calcium syrup, anti inflammatory medication, and instructions to let her have warm baths and quiet dark places to lay. She would always lay within a day or 2. After a year of this when she showed the same signs of being egg bound I asked my vet if I really needed to bring her in and torture the poor duck with an x-ray or if it was ok to just come pick up a refill of the meds. She refilled the meds. Gingersnap didn't get better. I took her to the vet... Yet again. After an exam the vet said that she sure seemed egg bound, but asked to do an x-ray to make sure. It turned out she was having a completely different problem!!

Your duck could be egg bound... But my experience has been that even a vet can't tell you definitely if she is or not without diagnostic testing. However, since the treatment isn't likely to hurt her it seems logical to me to try it. I know you can get the medicine over the counter, I don't know where though. Though, as always, if she were my duck I would take her to the vet to be extra safe.

Keep us updated on how she is doing.

 

[HENS-and-MARES]

Hi, sorry to hear about your duck. I've had a lot of reproductive issues with my ducks.

My duck Gingersnap used to get egg bound regularly and I took her to the vet. They verified her diagnosis with radiographs. Her symptoms were: not keeping up and foraging with the rest of the flock, walking stiffly and more upright, lying down with her tail bobbing gently when she would normal be doing other things. When it got bad she couldn't walk at all.

I took her to the vet at least every 3 weeks (sometimes more than once a week), they did x-rays, and sent me home with calcium syrup, anti inflammatory medication, and instructions to let her have warm baths and quiet dark places to lay. She would always lay within a day or 2. After a year of this when she showed the same signs of being egg bound I asked my vet if I really needed to bring her in and torture the poor duck with an x-ray or if it was ok to just come pick up a refill of the meds. She refilled the meds. Gingersnap didn't get better. I took her to the vet... Yet again. After an exam the vet said that she sure seemed egg bound, but asked to do an x-ray to make sure. It turned out she was having a completely different problem!!

Your duck could be egg bound... But my experience has been that even a vet can't tell you definitely if she is or not without diagnostic testing. However, since the treatment isn't likely to hurt her it seems logical to me to try it. I know you can get the medicine over the counter, I don't know where though. Though, as always, if she were my duck I would take her to the vet to be extra safe.

Keep us updated on how she is doing.

Thanks, what should I get to treat her?

 

[KaleIAm]

Thanks, what should I get to treat her?

My vet had me use calcium gluconate, and metacam. Because I always just get my meds from the vet I don't know where to get them OTC. I'll see if I can get another member to help us.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

@Isaac 0

 

[HENS-and-MARES]

My vet had me use calcium gluconate, and metacam. Because I always just get my meds from the vet I don't know where to get them OTC. I'll see if I can get another member to help us.

Thanks

 

[KaleIAm]

@Isaac 0

Oh thanks I was having difficulty tagging him!! Yes, Isaac can you please advise us here!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I have a khaki Campbell who just started laying about a week ago, and she hasn’t lates an egg in three days, she randomly sits and looks like she’s trying to lay an egg, and walks a LITTLE lopsided. Is she egg bound?

It's pretty common for new layers to lay sporadically until they get things down. All of mine did the same exact things your hen is doing. They would lay a couple eggs, stop for a couple days, sit around a little more than usual and then they would lay again. It actually takes ducks 5 weeks from the start of their first egg to get up to laying 90% proficiently. If you're still worried you can give her an oral dose of 23% calcium gluconate. As far as Metacam, it is a prescription that will require a vet.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ZteWCgNkTlI_pUlRcbKTaEoFob46Xm50aArRMEALw_wcB

 

[JulieBeth07]

I thought my new layer was egg bound today.

I bought some calcium Gluconate at my local feed store. They sell it at tractor supply too. I found a chart on here with dosage.

I was going to give it to her before bedtime tonight, but didn't need to.


I ended up putting her in a warm bath for a little while... probably almost 30 mins or so. I dried her off and brought her to my garage. Its nice and warm and quiet in there. About 30 mins later she laid her egg she had been fighting with... at least all day today. I'm not sure if you consider that egg bound or not... but she was having problems for sure.

 

[KaleIAm]

It's pretty common for new layers to lay sporadically until they get things down. All of mine did the same exact things your hen is doing. They would lay a couple eggs, stop for a couple days, sit around a little more than usual and then they would lay again. It actually takes ducks 5 weeks from the start of their first egg to get up to laying 90% proficiently. If you're still worried you can give her an oral dose of 23% calcium gluconate. As far as Metacam, it is a prescription that will require a vet.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ZteWCgNkTlI_pUlRcbKTaEoFob46Xm50aArRMEALw_wcB

Metacam requires a vet prescription, but since it is just an anti inflammatory there are substitutes that do not. To be clear I'm NOT recommending the original poster treat her duck for egg binding. I was simple telling my experience with it.