Egg Bound Chicken: Treatment and Prevention - Grit - Grit Magazine

An egg-bound hen could die if she isn't able to lay within 48 hours. Learn about egg-bound chicken treatment so that you can take swift action if needed.

Imagine one of your hens is acting funny.  She is fluffed up, her eyes are closed and she is lethargic.  You notice her sitting on the ground and maybe dragging her wings.  Her tail is down and most likely she is straining or pumping her backside.  Upon closer examination you notice that liquid is dripping from her vent and you may feel an egg-shaped lump.  All signs of an egg bound hen.

Considering the process that a chicken goes through nearly every day to lay a perfect egg, it's no wonder that things go wrong sometimes.  Fortunately, being egg bound is not all that common, and there's a good chance you may never have a hen suffer from it, but it's still good to know the signs and how to treat it.

An egg bound hen literally has an egg stuck in her oviduct. It is most common in young chickens.  It could be due to a large or double yolked egg that is too large to pass through, genetics or a calcium deficiency. Calcium is needed for proper muscle contraction.  Too much protein in a hen's diet can also cause egg binding.  Other potential causes are internal worms, low quality feed, dehydration or weakness from a recent illness.

You want to handle your egg bound chicken carefully to avoid breaking the egg inside her, which can lead to infection and possible death.  Peritonitis is caused by egg material stuck inside the hen and must be treated immediately with an antibiotic, such as Baytril, and probiotic powder to build up her good bacteria.

Even if the egg is not broken, the condition must be treated quickly.  An egg bound hen will die if she is not able to pass the egg within 48 hours, so once you have made your diagnosis, treatment should start immediately.

Egg Bound Chicken Treatment

The easiest thing to do is to carefully bring the hen into the house and soak her in a plastic tub in your bathtub.

Submerge her lower body and vent in warm water with some Epsom salts for about 20 minutes, then gently towel dry her.

If it's winter or there's any draft, dry her off with a hair dryer set on low heat.

Then rub some vegetable oil around her vent and very gently massage her abdomen.  Put her in quiet, dark location in a large crate or cage.  A dog crate or bird cage with a towel or blanket draped over it, a towel that has been warmed in the dryer on the bottom, and set over a pan of hot water (or with a heating pad under the towel) with a heat lamp is perfect.  You want to create moist heat.

Give her some Nutri-Drench and 1cc of liquid calcium.  Then give her some time to herself.  Repeat the soak in the tub every hour or so until she lays her egg.

As a last resort, a visit to a vet is recommended or, if you can see the egg, you can carefully extract the contents of the egg using a syringe and then gently crush the shell, keeping the fragments attached to the membrane and remove it using vegetable oil squirted in and around the vent.  Antiobiotics is recommended in that case to be on the safe side.

Hopefully this is not a condition you will ever encounter, but if you do, at least you will be prepared.

Adblock test (Why?)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rashes that look like scabies: Causes, symptoms, and treatment - Medical News Today

Image
Scabies is a skin condition that occurs as the result of a mite known as Sarcoptes scabiei. The rash that results from scabies may appear similar to other skin conditions, such as psoriasis, eczema, or contact dermatitis. In this article, we look at what a scabies rash looks like. We also look at other rashes that are similar in appearance and their treatment options. Scabies is a common condition that occurs as the result of an infestation of a microscopic skin mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. The mites burrow under the skin, causing intense itching and a rash. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes the rash as pimple-like. On darker skin, the rash may be more difficult to see, but a person should be able to feel it. According to DermNet, a scabies rash is varied in appearance, and may appear as: pimple-like on the limbs and trunk widespread or coin-shaped small blisters scales lesions in the armpits, groin, navel, areolas, scrotum, buttocks, and along the penil...
Read more

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment - Cleveland Clinic

Image
Can I prevent a urinary tract infection? The following lifestyle changes can help prevent urinary tract infections: Practice good hygiene Practicing good hygiene is one of the best ways to help prevent UTIs. This is especially important if you have a vagina because your urethra is much shorter, and it's easier for E. coli to move from your rectum back into your body. Always wipe from front to back after a bowel movement (pooping) to avoid this. During your menstrual cycle, it's also a good idea to regularly change your period products, including pads and tampons. You should also avoid using any deodorants on your vagina. Drink plenty of fluids Drinking extra fluids — especially water — each day can help flush out bacteria from your urinary tract. Healthcare providers recommend drinking six to eight glasses of water daily. Change your peeing habits Peeing can play a big role in getting rid of bacteria from your body. Your pee is a waste product, and each time you empty your bla...
Read more

Symtuza: Uses, side effects, alternatives, and more - Medical News Today

Image
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as Symtuza to treat certain conditions. Symtuza is FDA-approved to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 40 kilograms (kg), which is about 88 pounds (lb). It's approved for people who: have just been diagnosed with HIV and haven't started treatment yet, OR are changing from another HIV treatment and: have been on a stable antiretroviral regimen for at least 6 months (this means you haven't had any changes to your HIV drugs for at least 6 months) have a viral load (the amount of HIV in your blood) that's less than 50 copies per milliliter (mL) have HIV that doesn't have mutations (changes) that could make it resistant (less likely to respond) to darunavir or tenofovir (two of the active drugs in Symtuza) HIV explained HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. There are two forms of this virus, HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is the most common form. HIV is transmitted through body fluid...
Read more