Egg Binding – symptoms, prevention and treatment

Chickens are one of the only pets who can also make you breakfast – about once a day they provide you with a nutritious egg that can help feed yourself and your family. But Hen sitting in nest boxwhen a normally healthy hen starts to have problems laying, it can be distressing on many levels. There is an important distinction between an absence of eggs and a sick hen. Eggs may not be found for many reasons, including:

It’s the health issues that we are concerned with for this article. One of the most troubling laying issues is a hen that is egg bound.

A hen that is egg bound has an egg that has become stuck in the oviduct and cannot pass out of the body. Egg binding is a potentially fatal condition, and hens who do not pass the egg within about 24 hours will usually perish. Eggs can become stuck for a variety of reasons, including

  • lack of calcium in the diet (helps with muscle quality)
  • poor body condition (overweight)
  • issues with the egg itself (excessively large)
  • Underdeveloped reproductive tract

If your hen is egg bound, she will most likely exhibit symptoms to tell you there is an issue. These symptoms can include:

  • Lethargy
  • Straining
  • Uncharacteristic sitting/squatting
  • Tail pumping up and down
  • Loss of appetite
  • Change in normal behavior

If you suspect a hen is egg bound, the best course of action is to contact your avian veterinarian.

In absence of a veterinarian’s help, you can try to assist the hen yourself. It is important if you are attempting treatment yourself that you are careful to not break the egg inside the hen, as this almost always leads to infection and further issues.  Separate her from the rest of the flock. Gently palpate the vent area to see if you can feel the offending egg. Use moist heat to try to help relax the vent and allow the egg to pass. Sitting the hen in a warm bath that covers the vent area is a good way to do this. Applying a lubricant to the vent area may also help the hen pass the egg. Keep the hen in a separate, dark area.

To try and prevent episodes of egg binding in the future:

  • Use a commercial layer feed as the main part of the diet, supplementing treats at no more than 10 – 15% of the total ration
  • Offer a free choice calcium supplement (like oyster shell) at all times
  • Do not put pullets under lights to encourage early onset of the lay cycle 

7 Replies to “Egg Binding – symptoms, prevention and treatment”

  1. These are great articles! I have always taken the best care of my hens but was not aware of the signs and symptoms of an egg bound hen. I realize that I have much more to learn.

  2. What about chickens that look like they’re passing egg yolk only? A senior member of the flock was doing this, drank lots of water, not eating & recently had gone blind. There maybe more than one thing that was going on with her, I don’t know & unfortunately a hawk (or some predator) got her 3-4 bites ago. I didn’t think it was infection from the color. Any help would be appreciated in case it happens again.
    Thank you!

    1. Hi Sue,
      A couple questions for you. Was there a shell? Sometimes stress, can cause “misfires” in egg production. Anymore details you have could help to troubleshoot the problem a little better. Thanks!

  3. Hi,
    I have 5 Amberlink chickens who just made their 16 week milestone. They appear to be behaving normal in feeding, drinking, pooping, nesting etc. My concern is that two of the hens are making these long, drawn out noises. Are they in distress? Is there something that I need to do?

    1. Hi Chris,
      Probably not a lot of cause for concern on those noises, it’s likely that your hens are beginning to reach sexual maturity. It doesn’t sound like an issue of health concern.

      Best of luck!

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