Upon close inspection today, I noticed a red-pinkish mass inside one of my greywing hens vent. It also seems that fecal matter is stuck to her vent area feathers. The first thing I did was catch her and place her in a hospital cage with an infrared lamp. However, I'm afraid that she is in fact egg-bound and that the added stress is putting her in danger. I know a soiled vent indicates intestinal problems but that is usually caused by nutritional deficiency is it not? And I have the keets on a pelleted/seed diet with fruits and veggies. I'm so scared I might lose her so if she isn't doing better by tomorrow, I am bringing her to the emergency vet. I am also contacting local breeders for their ops. I would like all input on experiences with egg-binding and any additional information you have. Thank you so much.

I have not had any personal experience with egg binding, but one of my reference books states that she needs to be put in a hospital cage at about 90 degrees F. You have already done that, so that is good. It also says raising the humidity could help her to pass the egg. If she doesn't pass the egg shortly, she needs to see a vet asap.

I hope everything will be okay.

hospital cage is the best option you can try to manually manipulate it out but i would only advise this as a last resort and to some one with grear confidance and experiance

calcium has not got anything to do with a hen becoming egg bound one thought on it is that the air temp falls as she is laying and her muscles cant contract

no not a lot of heat just steady my bird room is set to about 10 to 15 degrees

 

clint were did your post about calcium go i replyed to yours but it has gone ?

 

 

 

clinton replying: i deleted it since u said that calcium dont have anything to do with it, so i decided it was a waste of space

Edited April 19, 200421 yr by kickass_clint

if there's pinkinsh red stuff inside the vent it might not be eggbound it could be somthin else but still take it 2 the vet. it would be easy 2 tell if it was really egg-bound or not if u felt the lump it would be hard and the hen would not be sitting on her nest. she might also be unsteady and wobbly when she tries 2 perch and as it worsens she would end up lying on the floor of the cage. That's wat happened 2 one of my budgies.

 

Once i thought 1 off my chickens was egg-bound because she had a lump for several days and seemed very sick. We thought she was about 2 die cos she wasn't eating. Then she went into a seizure. After a while she looked like she was going 2 lay an egg but instead she laid this pink yellowish mass! i don't know if ur budgie could hav sumthin like this though. Still take ur budgie to the vet or try putting olive oil around it's vent.

Edited January 22, 200520 yr by Rainbow

Thanks for all the answers. Well its been a few days now and her vent isn't as swollen and her feathers are nice and clean. Oddly, no egg has been passed yet but the two continue to show nesting signs. It gave me a scare, but now she and the **** are back to feeding each other and being nice and healthy. She hasn't been showing any signs of inability to perch, thank God. Also, it's funny hath because all of my reference books say that calcium can prevent egg binding(?). I believe calcium forms the egg shell itself, and have always thought that extra calcium would prevent egg-binding. Guess it's just a myth? Thank you all again!

Sorry I didn't read this earlier, but when she is eggbound (i have read) that the best thing 2 do is put her in a cup (where her whole body fits) with warm water cuz it will help the egg slide out but NEVER force it cuz if the egg breaks when still inside of her she will die!!!!!!!!!

clints comment was to give her extra calcium which would not have helped with your situation now calcium does help form the egg but if you supply cuttle fish all the time (which you should) extra calcium will not be needed at breeding time

Sorry I didn't read this earlier, but when she is eggbound (i have read) that the best thing 2 do is put her in a cup (where her whole body fits) with warm water cuz it will help the egg slide out but NEVER force it cuz if the egg breaks when still inside of her she will die!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Hey guys i know this is an old post BUT has anyone got the answer to that???

Sorry I didn't read this earlier, but when she is eggbound (i have read) that the best thing 2 do is put her in a cup (where her whole body fits) with warm water cuz it will help the egg slide out but NEVER force it cuz if the egg breaks when still inside of her she will die!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Hey guys i know this is an old post BUT has anyone got the answer to that???

Well, I wouldnt do that for a start.

Sorry I didn't read this earlier, but when she is eggbound (i have read) that the best thing 2 do is put her in a cup (where her whole body fits) with warm water cuz it will help the egg slide out but NEVER force it cuz if the egg breaks when still inside of her she will die!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Hey guys i know this is an old post BUT has anyone got the answer to that???

Well, I wouldnt do that for a start.

 

I was thinking the same

Sorry I didn't read this earlier, but when she is eggbound (i have read) that the best thing 2 do is put her in a cup (where her whole body fits) with warm water cuz it will help the egg slide out but NEVER force it cuz if the egg breaks when still inside of her she will die!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Hey guys i know this is an old post BUT has anyone got the answer to that???

 

From BBC FAQ section

 

Eggbound Hen

Categories for this entry

Budgerigar Breeding

. This is a very serious condition and should be considered a medical emergency.

 

Egg binding occurs when a hen is has difficulty in laying an egg. There are many signs and symptoms that a hen that is egg bound may display. These include:

 

a hen that looks distressed

a hen sitting on the bottom of the cage

a hen that has very large droppings that are very runny or contain blood

a hen who whips her tail or strains painfully

a hen that looks weak, depressed or is breathing rapidly

a hen that looks nervous or moves rapidly from perch to perch

a hen that is trying to stretch her body up to get relief

 

If you look carefully, you should notice a slight roundness of the underbelly or you may be able to feel the egg if you lightly palpate the area..

 

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO NOT TRY TO REMOVE THE EGG. If you do this and the egg breaks it can result in the death of the hen.

 

There are many causes for this condition including:

 

a hen that is too young

an egg that is too large

an egg with a rough shell

an egg that is too soft

the hen's oviduct (where the egg comes out) is not elastic enough

poor nutrition, a lack of vitamins or calcium

a hen that is kept in a room that is too dark, cool or damp

a hen that has laid too many clutches with no rest in between

 

As stated before, this is a medical emergency and a visit to your avain vet is essential.

Avian Vet Look-up

 

You can try to assist the hen by placing her in a warm environment, such as a hospital cage that is covered and has a soft cloth bottom (ensure the hen's claws can't get caught in the material) and dripping some warmed castor oil onto the vent. However this will usually only help if the egg is visible at the vent entrance. Keep the hen as calm as possible and transport her to your avian vet as soon as possible.

 

Last update: 2007-04-25 15:54

Author: feathers aka Aly

I don't know anything about laying eggs or egg bounding, but from what I read here in the forum that the hen should be kept calm, I don't think putting her in a cup of water will keep her calm.. just a thought.

the hen should be at the avian vet period...any updates on the hen?