why are my chickens geting eggstipated?

[henry123]

my chickens have been egg bound and we had to kill 1 and one died because of it
simtom are-
lazyness-laying in a corner not really moving
sore
weak

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What are you feeding? Too much fat in a diet can cause laying problems due to internal fat build up. If you are seeing multiple birds with problems I would suspect the diet.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sorry your girls are having issues.

Sometimes it can be genetics and is more common in some breeds than other but could happen to any.

What I wonder is... what breed, age, what do you feed including treats and supplements? Do you have a light on at night? How many birds in how much space? Do they free range? How did their poo look?

I disagree about those being symptoms of egg binding and wonder how did you confirm? It is usually deadly within 48 hours so why would you kill her instead of trying to help the egg that was to big to pass?

No judgement, I am hear to learn also.

 

[theoldchick]

Here some information for you:

There are a variety of things which cause egg binding. Some are manageable, others not so much.

• Passing large or odd shaped eggs. The oviduct can only stretch so far and a large or misshapen egg can get stuck.
• Malfunction in the reproductive system. Some hens are prone to problems and will lay odd or parchment eggs on a fairly regular basis – genetic issues.
• Double yolk eggs. These are larger than the usual egg and can cause problems.
• Malnutrition – poor diet low in necessary vitamins, minerals and protein.
• Sedentary life or obesity – muscles become weak from lack of activity or being overweight.
• Premature laying – hens that are forced to lay before they are fully developed often develop binding.
• Elderly chickens – weak muscles and inactivity.
• Egg retention – if insufficient nest boxes are available a hen will sometimes ‘hold’ her egg.
• Underlying reproductive tract infection.
• Severe infestation of internal parasites.

Hope this helps.

 

[slukeplass22]

Are you using supplemental lighting in the coop? That can sometimes build stress on the hen's egg-laying system. Others should be able to fill you in on this but I suggest you type "egg bound chicken" "egg bound hen" "egg binding" etc. in Google and see what others, on BYC and other blogs, have to say. I'd help more but I've never dealt with egg-binding before.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have dealt with egg binding... it was indicated by a girls staying inside the lay box. When removed she did not sit and stay in the standard broody position. Instead she stood like a penguin and her tail was pumping. She was lethargic which is to say exhausted, not the same thing as lazy. Yes she was weak, she couldn't eat or poop.

Google helps a lot of things. You have to use discernment though.

If you lose another bird, I suggest refrigerating the body and sending for necropsy, It is cheep or free in many states as a way of helping to protect our food supply chain. Here are a couple links to help you achieve that and it's the only true way to know what you are dealing with. Though we will still try to help you pinpoint anything we can here...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures.799747/

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

And a symptom checker tool that might be useful for you to narrow things down if you need to in the future, bookmark it ...
http://www.poultrydvm.com/symptoms

 

[micstrachan]

I am not convinced either that this was due to egg binding. It could be an illness or parasite overload. Can you provide more information? Breed, feed, bedding, etc. and we will try to help you.