Eggbound

[tlcmurphy]

Is the egg bound hen a quail or a chicken? I have no idea how much calcium you would give a quail

 

[azygous]

It's a miniature quail. I don't know how I missed that little detail. Of course you would need to scale the dosage down for a tiny creature like this. Perhaps run a few tablets through a coffee grinder and feed the crumbles. Dosage isn't a precise issue. Getting adequate calcium into the bird is essential.

 

[tlcmurphy]

It sounds like the hen is being housed with the quail temporarily, but I don’t know if it’s also a quail.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is the egg bound hen a quail or a chicken? I have no idea how much calcium you would give a quail

It's a miniature quail. I don't know how I missed that little detail. Of course you would need to scale the dosage down for a tiny creature like this. Perhaps run a few tablets through a coffee grinder and feed the crumbles. Dosage isn't a precise issue. Getting adequate calcium into the bird is essential.

Yes, this is a Button Quail, so a tiny little thing. Smaller than the Coturnix I keep.

I would cut the amount of Calcium Citrate to 1/2 tablet. Crushing it to small pieces and sprinkling over a bit of feed is a good idea. Quail are curious and if she's alert, she'll likely gobble down the pieces, they seem to be forever looking for something "different" in feed.

What I did was add crushed Calcium Citrate to the feed dish (I left her with her 2 sisters) so they all got a bit of extra calcium for a few days - no big deal, these Quail lay eggs like crazy.
I put 1/2 tablet into the 2 water bottles (16oz water) so there was Calcium in the water too. Calcium Citrate with D3 dissolves relatively well in water. TUMS do not, so opt to just sprinkle on feed if using TUMS. They will be keen on picking out the colored pieces of TUMS when in feed.

Keep in mind - the "extra Calcium" is for a short period of time to get the bird through crisis! I give no more than 5 days when it comes to Quail, no more than 7 days when it's a Chicken Hen.

 

[mmwellsfarm]

You are feeling the egg where? In the abdomen?
How do you know it's cracked?

Wow...a Button Quail, incredibly small!
I would give her the Extra Calcium as suggested. For a Button, I'd give 1/2 tablet Calcium Citrate with D3, the extra calcium can help with contractions and is quick uptake.

Is she able to poop? It's been 3 days.

Possible the egg you feel is in the abdomen instead of in the reproductive tract. IF it's in the abdomen, you will not be able to retrieve the egg.

I would be extremely careful trying to feel inside the vent since she's so small. I'd worry about damaging the vent.
IF the egg is indeed in the reproductive tract and is broken, she's going to have a hard time pushing it out, hopefully it will become visible so you can get a hold of it and pull it on out, time contractions for pulling when she pushes.

If the egg comes out intact (no leaking of yolk/abdomen) that would be good. If it's broken and leaking, then I'd consider giving her an antibiotic like Amoxicillin to help prevent infection. Leaking egg fosters bacterial infection.

I had a Coturnix prolapse last month, IF your button prolapses, keep the tissue moist with ointment, oil or honey. For mine, I used Prep H because that's what I had on hand. Soaking can sometimes help - depends on how stressed your Quail is. I don't handle mine, but she was agreeable to a room temp/cool(ish) soak/cleansing in an epsom salts bath, it was very hot here during that time, so I think cooler water felt good to her. Regardless, any exposed or prolapsed tissue keep it moist with your ointment. For my little one, the prolapse took about 3 days to resolve but she was not trying to expel and egg nor did she have a stuck egg. I kept her on extra Calcium for a week.

Do the best you can. If she's pooping/able to poop, that's good, but it also sounds like she's in some distress.
Sadly, with Quail (and chickens) sometimes the bird doesn't make it, but keep trying and see how it goes.

I really hope this turns out o.k.




Quail reproductive (and whole system) is like a chicken Hen's. Just on a smaller scale.
View attachment 3851175

Oh, not a buttom quail, she was in with a button quail to keep her separated. She is a Coturnix. It's in her abdomen. Most of time. It comes close where I can feel it with my pinky when I for to feel around for it and them it goes back down. The shell feels crackly which it didn't before she jumped onto the side of the bowl I was soaking her in. My kids yelled and scared her. She is pooping. Now she has some weird looking stuff oozing out. Hoping not the inside of the egg but the egg is closer to coming out it looks like. I have her in my bedroom in a small box. The room is cool and dark so hoping that helps. Not quiet in my house because of kids but she can't see anything.

 

[Nabiki]

Can you post a pic of the poop? If she's pooping then she's not egg bound. I'm worried that the egg has broken and it's the inside of the egg coming out.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is a Coturnix. It's in her abdomen. Most of time. It comes close where I can feel it with my pinky when I for to feel around for it and them it goes back down. The shell feels crackly

She is pooping. Now she has some weird looking stuff oozing out. Hoping not the inside of the egg but the egg is closer to coming out it looks like.

Photos of whatever is oozing would be a good idea.

Often you'll see something like pasty discharge, usually urates, the stuff is almost like glue. This type of discharge is not Vent Gleet, I've seen it with egg binding, vent injuries and/or prolapses - once the crisis is resolved, usually the discharge disappears with it.

You mention you are feeling the egg in the abdomen. You can feel it with your pinky, but then it goes back "down". Is there tissue between your finger and the egg or can you seriously feel the rough shell?

I know I keep visiting this aspect, but an egg can enter the abdomen Coelomic Cavity) through reverse peristalsis (Internal Laying). IF it's in the abdominal cavity, it will not come out, no matter what you do.

 

[mmwellsfarm]

Photos of whatever is oozing would be a good idea.

Often you'll see something like pasty discharge, usually urates, the stuff is almost like glue. This type of discharge is not Vent Gleet, I've seen it with egg binding, vent injuries and/or prolapses - once the crisis is resolved, usually the discharge disappears with it.

You mention you are feeling the egg in the abdomen. You can feel it with your pinky, but then it goes back "down". Is there tissue between your finger and the egg or can you seriously feel the rough shell?

I know I keep visiting this aspect, but an egg can enter the abdomen Coelomic Cavity) through reverse peristalsis (Internal Laying). IF it's in the abdominal cavity, it will not come out, no matter what you do.

I've touched it but then she tenses up and it goes back down. It's seriously a huge egg. It feels about 2" long and maybe 1" to 1½" wide just from what I can feel from the outside. I could be wrong obviously since that's through her skin, etc. The leaking stopped now so maybe it was just the oils and a little poop or something.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Have you given her Calcium today? If not, then I'd get that into her.

Hopefully she'll be able to expel the egg.

 

[mmwellsfarm]

Have you given her Calcium today? If not, then I'd get that into her.

Hopefully she'll be able to expel the egg.

Yes I did, but all they had was the softgel capsules. She didn't take that very easily and I didn't want to hold onto her too firmly and accidently bust the egg. I gave her what I could though. I'll get more creative in the morning. I'm thinking on how to get her to take it better.