Reproductive Health in Chickens
Hello and welcome to my article about reproductive health in chickens.
In this article I will detail common reproductive diseases, provide preventative strategies, explain how to perform checks and monitoring for reproductive health, and discuss what treatments are available to backyard chicken keepers as well as possible vet care options.
Reproductive Diseases
Chickens have been bred to produce eggs but unfortunately this has resulted in their propensity for reproductive-related issues, particularly for production breed hens who lay 300+ eggs in their first years.
Some common reproductive issues include the following:
Backyard chicken keepers can take certain actions to reduce the prevalence of reproductive issues in their flock. Some strategies include the following:
The below details how to perform health checks specifically for reproductive health. There is more involved in a comprehensive health check which lies outside the scope of this article.
Reproductive Health Check/Monitoring
There are two ways to weigh a chicken. Firstly, you can weigh yourself holding the bird on a set of bathroom scales, then subtract your own weight to get the bird's weight. Secondly, if they are placid enough, you can put a washcloth on a set of kitchen scales, TARE it off and then stand the bird on the cloth to get their weight (the cloth helps them grip because usually kitchen scales are slick plastic or glass). It's a good idea to keep a little notebook and log the weights so you can identify changes. Some changes are normal and healthy, e.g. birds may lose weight when moulting.
Body condition is checked by feeling the keel bone and breast muscle either side of the keel bone. The keel bone should be easily felt with moderately-developed breast muscle.
Here is an online article that explains body condition scoring in more detail and provides a body condition chart and written explanation for chickens: https://blog.meyerhatchery.com/2023/06/chicken-body-condition/
The reason we check weight against body condition is because chickens can lose body condition whilst gaining weight when they are unwell. For example, if a chicken has ascites fluid building in the abdomen, the number on the scales may be going up. Similarly in the case of salpingitis where inflammation and infected egg material is building up in the oviduct. However, the body condition of the bird will be diminishing due to their illness; they will be eating less, losing muscle tone and their keel bone will become increasingly prominent.
The feeling of an abnormal belly can give an indication as to what issue may be present. A taut, fluid-filled belly that feels like a full water balloon may indicate ascites or internal laying. A distended/bloated/swollen belly may indicate egg-binding or an infection such as salpingitis/EYP. Over time, reproductive infections can lead to the belly becoming firm/hard due to the nature of the chicken's immune system. A distended but softer feeling belly may indicate a soft tissue problem like cancer -- or even a hernia.
Any abnormal changes in poop should be noted. Having poop boards or regularly scooping poop from the coop/run provides the opportunity to establish what's normal and what's not. Excessively watery, containing mucous, brighter yellow/green poops are causes for concern. Dirty vent feathers can be caused by numerous issues and warrant closer checks and monitoring. Here is an excellent article about chicken poop with pictures and descriptions of what's normal and what isn't:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive/
Feel crops every evening at roost time to make sure everyone is eating and every morning before you let them out to make sure crops are empty and digestion is working properly. Slow crop (where the crop is not emptying as fast as it should, i.e. overnight) and crop stasis (where nothing is moving through) are commonly caused by internal/reproductive issues.
Here are some articles about specific disorders of the crop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
Watch and get to know the individual members of your flock to identify changes in behaviour e.g. lethargy, depression, poor appetite, getting bumped down the pecking order, going to roost earlier than usual, slow to come out in the morning, self-isolating etc. Chickens will hide their illness for as long as possible but if you know your flock you will be able to spot subtle changes in behaviour early on.
Diagnositics & Treatments
Calcium Citrate
Keep a human calcium citrate supplement in the chicken first-aid kit. This is particularly important and useful when a hen is egg bound either with the egg at the cloaca or having an ongoing struggle with soft-shelled eggs. Calcium plays an integral role in a chicken's health not just for the development of shells but also for contractions when laying eggs and heart health. 600mg of calcium citrate daily to help a hen pass a stuck egg, or for up to a month to support and reset the reproductive system. We use calcium citrate because it is the fastest absorbed/acting form of calcium. You can also give calcium supplementation to chickens who lay brittle shelled eggs.
Epsom Salt Baths
Keep a box of epsom salts and a chicken sized tub on hand. Chickens who are egg bound can benefit from a soak in a warm epsom salt bath, preferably somewhere dark and quiet. The magnesium in the epsom salts will relax their muscles and help them pass stuck eggs.
Checking for a Stuck Egg
Wearing a disposable glove, insert a lubed finger into the chicken's vent to feel for an egg. If the hen is egg bound at the cloaca you won't need to insert your finger very far. If the hen has a soft shelled egg stuck further up the oviduct, you may not be able to feel it. Be very gentle because a broken egg inside the hen can cause lacerations and infection.
Removing a Stuck Egg
This article gives step by step advice on how to use a syringe to remove an egg from an egg-bound hen: https://www.thechickentractor.com.au/how-to-help-an-egg-bound-chicken
Some people like to do a warm vinegar/water flush if an egg has broken inside the hen to help remove it completely.
Digital Thermometer
If a chicken has an infection they may also develop a fever. A healthy body temperature for a chicken is between 105-107°F or 40.6-41.7°C. If you are concerned about possible infection, having a thermometer on hand to check the hen's temperature is a good way to confirm. You can check a chicken's temperature by lubing up a digital stick thermometer and inserting it into the vent.
Antibiotics & Anti-inflammatories
Amoxicillin or amoxicillin with clavulanic acid is usually prescribed for chickens with reproductive infections. Dosage depends on weight and is given twice a day for 7-10 days. Meloxicam/metacam is usually prescribed for pain relief and to manage fever/inflammation, dosage again depends on weight with fairly wide safety margins although extended use can affect the kidneys. Depending on where you are in the world will depend on your access to these drugs and whether you would need to see a veterinarian. Even a veterinarian who is not an avian specialist can prescribe these drugs off-label to chickens.
Ultrasounds, X-Rays and CT Scans
A veterinarian can perform scans as a diagnostic tool to potentially identify reproductive issues and determine the appropriate course of treatment. Ultrasounds can usually be performed whilst the bird is conscious, however other scans may require anaesthesia.
Needle Draining
Depending on the information/advice you have access to, the equipment you can source and your level of confidence performing medical procedures, ascites and internal laying fluid can be drained using a needle. Draining fluid from the abdomen is not a cure for the underlying disease but can give your hen more time and a better quality of life. A veterinarian can also perform this procedure.
Suprelorin/Deslorin Contraceptive Implant
This can be prescribed and implanted by a veterinarian. It doesn't necessarily have to be an avian veterinarian. The contraceptive implant is used in other animals like cats and dogs as a surgical alternative and comes in a 4.7mg and 9.4mg dosage. In chickens, it is injected directly into the breast muscle. It induces moult and suppresses ovulation anywhere from 1-12 months depending on the bird. The implant is an excellent form of prevention and treatment for reproductive diseases and can be given alongside antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to cure acute illness. Multiple implants can be given over time, however they do lose their efficacy.
Surgery
This requires an avian veterinarian. Reproductive surgery involves removing tumours and/or the oviduct and any associated inflammatory/infected material. If the ovary is healthy, the vet will leave the ovary in place as it's position inside the body poses risks during removal. Surgery for birds has come a long way and has a high success rate with an experienced vet and if the bird is stabilised prior to surgery taking place. Usually the best time for surgery is a couple of weeks after a contraceptive implant has been put in, so that the blood vessels have shrunk and receded away from the oviduct. Most of the biological impulse to lay comes from the oviduct, however if you have a chicken have reproductive surgery there will need to be follow up to ensure she is not releasing yolks into the abdomen. Follow up could include ultrasounds, blood tests to check for calcium and protein levels and further contraceptive implants.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are lots of things that can go wrong within a chicken's reproductive system and some chickens will be more susceptible to reproductive issues than others. However, there are things as backyard chicken keepers that we can do to prevent and identify issues early on, as well as effective home remedies and vet care if that is an accessible option. Posting a thread in the Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures section of BYC is always a good idea to receive support and targeted advice to your situation.
Please comment with questions or feedback and I will endeavour to reply and/or make changes as appropriate. This is my first article, as suggested I write by a member here on BYC, and it's mostly knowledge I've pulled from my head from various sources along the way -- so I may have missed things or gotten things wrong.
Wishing you a peaceful and healthy flock!
Maggie.
Hello and welcome to my article about reproductive health in chickens.
In this article I will detail common reproductive diseases, provide preventative strategies, explain how to perform checks and monitoring for reproductive health, and discuss what treatments are available to backyard chicken keepers as well as possible vet care options.
Reproductive Diseases
Chickens have been bred to produce eggs but unfortunately this has resulted in their propensity for reproductive-related issues, particularly for production breed hens who lay 300+ eggs in their first years.
Some common reproductive issues include the following:
- Egg-binding, an emergency condition where a fully formed egg gets stuck at the cloaca and cannot be laid. Usually the chicken stands upright in the "penguin posture". This also blocks the chicken from being able to poop, can impinge on nerves, blocks subsequent eggs further up the oviduct, results in abdominal swelling/discomfort and reduces circulation. If the chicken cannot lay the egg, she will go into shock and die in a matter of days.
- Egg-binding, a less critical condition where soft-shelled eggs get stuck further up the oviduct. This does not block the chicken from pooping but can cause a backlog of soft and hard-shelled eggs, abdominal swelling and discomfort. Sometimes a hen's ovary will release multiple yolks and only one will be shelled. Sometimes hens have issues with their shell-glands. Lack of calcium and viral infections are another cause of soft-shelled eggs.
- Cancer, where tumours grow in the oviduct and shed cells which spread to the ovaries and other organs causing further tumours and nodules. Cancers also affect the lymphatic system and may result in ascites, which is a build-up of fluid in the abdomen.
- Salpingitis, which is a bacterial or viral infection of the oviduct. Bacteria causing salpingitis include MG, E. Coli, Salmonella and Fowl Cholera. Viral causes of salpingitis include Newcastle's disease, influenza and infectious bronchitis. Salpingitis results in inflammation of the oviduct and affects egg production. Hens with salpingitis may produce a "lash egg" which isn't actually an egg. It is caseous exudate resulting from infection. Soft shelled eggs, abnormal shaped eggs and eggs with stress-lines are risk factors for salpingitis.
- Internal laying, which is where yolks are released into the abdomen rather than proceeding down the reproductive tract, developing properly and being laid. Fluid from the yolks builds up in the belly, eventually hardens and can result in the infection Egg Yolk Peritonitis. Sometimes one-off or infrequent yolks in the abdomen can be reabsorbed by the chicken and don't cause issues.
- Ascites, where fluid builds up in the abdomen. Ascites is not a disease by itself but results from diseases such as cancer, internal laying and organ issues. Chickens with ascites may also present with the penguin stance.
Backyard chicken keepers can take certain actions to reduce the prevalence of reproductive issues in their flock. Some strategies include the following:
- Feed a balanced, high quality pellet feed with appropriate protein/calcium/phosphorus ratio for the make-up of the flock. Pellet feed reduces selective feeding. Many chicken keepers choose to provide a higher protein feed (often an all-flock or a grower feed) and supplement calcium for laying hens with free-choice flaked oyster shell.
- Limit treats to ~10% of diet. Treats include kitchen scraps, greens, mealworms, BSFL and so on.
- Ensure free-choice, proper sized, sharp shell-grit is always available. Do not rely on chickens finding their own grit especially if you keep them on the same ground all the time. You must provide it for them.
- Regularly clean and disinfect feeders and waterers.
- Reduce the flock's contact with wild birds and rodents wherever possible.
- Regularly clean out nesting box materials. Bacterial salpingitis in particular is often caused by reverse peristalsis during egg-laying in dirty nest box bedding. Similarly, try to keep dust-bathing areas free of poop.
The below details how to perform health checks specifically for reproductive health. There is more involved in a comprehensive health check which lies outside the scope of this article.
Reproductive Health Check/Monitoring
1. Compare body condition against weight. Each chicken will have a healthy normal body condition and weight. It's best to weigh your birds and check their body condition weekly.
There are two ways to weigh a chicken. Firstly, you can weigh yourself holding the bird on a set of bathroom scales, then subtract your own weight to get the bird's weight. Secondly, if they are placid enough, you can put a washcloth on a set of kitchen scales, TARE it off and then stand the bird on the cloth to get their weight (the cloth helps them grip because usually kitchen scales are slick plastic or glass). It's a good idea to keep a little notebook and log the weights so you can identify changes. Some changes are normal and healthy, e.g. birds may lose weight when moulting.
Body condition is checked by feeling the keel bone and breast muscle either side of the keel bone. The keel bone should be easily felt with moderately-developed breast muscle.
Here is an online article that explains body condition scoring in more detail and provides a body condition chart and written explanation for chickens: https://blog.meyerhatchery.com/2023/06/chicken-body-condition/
The reason we check weight against body condition is because chickens can lose body condition whilst gaining weight when they are unwell. For example, if a chicken has ascites fluid building in the abdomen, the number on the scales may be going up. Similarly in the case of salpingitis where inflammation and infected egg material is building up in the oviduct. However, the body condition of the bird will be diminishing due to their illness; they will be eating less, losing muscle tone and their keel bone will become increasingly prominent.
2. Feel the abdomen/belly area between the end of the keel bone and under the vent. It's also good to do this weekly.
An active laying hen will have a bigger belly due to persistent low level inflammation due to regular laying. However, the belly should be soft and squishy and not cause the bird distress when felt gently. A non-laying hen will have a smaller belly that is still soft and squishy. The feeling of an abnormal belly can give an indication as to what issue may be present. A taut, fluid-filled belly that feels like a full water balloon may indicate ascites or internal laying. A distended/bloated/swollen belly may indicate egg-binding or an infection such as salpingitis/EYP. Over time, reproductive infections can lead to the belly becoming firm/hard due to the nature of the chicken's immune system. A distended but softer feeling belly may indicate a soft tissue problem like cancer -- or even a hernia.
3. Watch for signs of active lay without egg production.
There are multiples ways to check/observe a hen for signs of active lay. Any hen who is showing signs of active lay without producing eggs is at risk of reproductive issues.- Vent/pelvic bone check. An active-laying hen will have a wide, moist vent like a coin purse. A non-laying hen will have a smaller, dry vent more like a cat's bum. The bones below the vent shift and widen during active lay, and pull closer together when a hen is not laying or before becoming sexually mature. Here is an article that goes into this in more detail: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
- Squatting when approached. Active-laying hens in flocks without a rooster will often hunker down when a human or another hen higher up the pecking order approaches them. This is a sign of sexual maturity as well as active lay. You might notice when hens go through moult and stop laying for the colder months, they also stop squatting down.
- Combs and wattles. When a hen reaches sexual maturity, her comb and wattles will turn bright red and plump. This is not an absolute indication of active lay, but is something to observed in conjunction with other signs.
- Nesting behaviour. Nesting behaviour includes going in and out of nesting boxes, spending time in nesting boxes, roaming the yard/run "looking" for a spot to lay, tossing bedding and bits of grass and twigs over the shoulder and singing the egg song/escort call. Any or all of these behaviours without producing any eggs is a red flag for reproductive issues.
4. Crop and poop checks.
Any abnormal changes in poop should be noted. Having poop boards or regularly scooping poop from the coop/run provides the opportunity to establish what's normal and what's not. Excessively watery, containing mucous, brighter yellow/green poops are causes for concern. Dirty vent feathers can be caused by numerous issues and warrant closer checks and monitoring. Here is an excellent article about chicken poop with pictures and descriptions of what's normal and what isn't:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive/
Feel crops every evening at roost time to make sure everyone is eating and every morning before you let them out to make sure crops are empty and digestion is working properly. Slow crop (where the crop is not emptying as fast as it should, i.e. overnight) and crop stasis (where nothing is moving through) are commonly caused by internal/reproductive issues.
Here are some articles about specific disorders of the crop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
5. General flock monitoring.
Watch and get to know the individual members of your flock to identify changes in behaviour e.g. lethargy, depression, poor appetite, getting bumped down the pecking order, going to roost earlier than usual, slow to come out in the morning, self-isolating etc. Chickens will hide their illness for as long as possible but if you know your flock you will be able to spot subtle changes in behaviour early on.
Diagnositics & Treatments
Calcium Citrate
Keep a human calcium citrate supplement in the chicken first-aid kit. This is particularly important and useful when a hen is egg bound either with the egg at the cloaca or having an ongoing struggle with soft-shelled eggs. Calcium plays an integral role in a chicken's health not just for the development of shells but also for contractions when laying eggs and heart health. 600mg of calcium citrate daily to help a hen pass a stuck egg, or for up to a month to support and reset the reproductive system. We use calcium citrate because it is the fastest absorbed/acting form of calcium. You can also give calcium supplementation to chickens who lay brittle shelled eggs.
Epsom Salt Baths
Keep a box of epsom salts and a chicken sized tub on hand. Chickens who are egg bound can benefit from a soak in a warm epsom salt bath, preferably somewhere dark and quiet. The magnesium in the epsom salts will relax their muscles and help them pass stuck eggs.
Checking for a Stuck Egg
Wearing a disposable glove, insert a lubed finger into the chicken's vent to feel for an egg. If the hen is egg bound at the cloaca you won't need to insert your finger very far. If the hen has a soft shelled egg stuck further up the oviduct, you may not be able to feel it. Be very gentle because a broken egg inside the hen can cause lacerations and infection.
Removing a Stuck Egg
This article gives step by step advice on how to use a syringe to remove an egg from an egg-bound hen: https://www.thechickentractor.com.au/how-to-help-an-egg-bound-chicken
Some people like to do a warm vinegar/water flush if an egg has broken inside the hen to help remove it completely.
Digital Thermometer
If a chicken has an infection they may also develop a fever. A healthy body temperature for a chicken is between 105-107°F or 40.6-41.7°C. If you are concerned about possible infection, having a thermometer on hand to check the hen's temperature is a good way to confirm. You can check a chicken's temperature by lubing up a digital stick thermometer and inserting it into the vent.
Antibiotics & Anti-inflammatories
Amoxicillin or amoxicillin with clavulanic acid is usually prescribed for chickens with reproductive infections. Dosage depends on weight and is given twice a day for 7-10 days. Meloxicam/metacam is usually prescribed for pain relief and to manage fever/inflammation, dosage again depends on weight with fairly wide safety margins although extended use can affect the kidneys. Depending on where you are in the world will depend on your access to these drugs and whether you would need to see a veterinarian. Even a veterinarian who is not an avian specialist can prescribe these drugs off-label to chickens.
Ultrasounds, X-Rays and CT Scans
A veterinarian can perform scans as a diagnostic tool to potentially identify reproductive issues and determine the appropriate course of treatment. Ultrasounds can usually be performed whilst the bird is conscious, however other scans may require anaesthesia.
Needle Draining
Depending on the information/advice you have access to, the equipment you can source and your level of confidence performing medical procedures, ascites and internal laying fluid can be drained using a needle. Draining fluid from the abdomen is not a cure for the underlying disease but can give your hen more time and a better quality of life. A veterinarian can also perform this procedure.
Suprelorin/Deslorin Contraceptive Implant
This can be prescribed and implanted by a veterinarian. It doesn't necessarily have to be an avian veterinarian. The contraceptive implant is used in other animals like cats and dogs as a surgical alternative and comes in a 4.7mg and 9.4mg dosage. In chickens, it is injected directly into the breast muscle. It induces moult and suppresses ovulation anywhere from 1-12 months depending on the bird. The implant is an excellent form of prevention and treatment for reproductive diseases and can be given alongside antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to cure acute illness. Multiple implants can be given over time, however they do lose their efficacy.
Surgery
This requires an avian veterinarian. Reproductive surgery involves removing tumours and/or the oviduct and any associated inflammatory/infected material. If the ovary is healthy, the vet will leave the ovary in place as it's position inside the body poses risks during removal. Surgery for birds has come a long way and has a high success rate with an experienced vet and if the bird is stabilised prior to surgery taking place. Usually the best time for surgery is a couple of weeks after a contraceptive implant has been put in, so that the blood vessels have shrunk and receded away from the oviduct. Most of the biological impulse to lay comes from the oviduct, however if you have a chicken have reproductive surgery there will need to be follow up to ensure she is not releasing yolks into the abdomen. Follow up could include ultrasounds, blood tests to check for calcium and protein levels and further contraceptive implants.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are lots of things that can go wrong within a chicken's reproductive system and some chickens will be more susceptible to reproductive issues than others. However, there are things as backyard chicken keepers that we can do to prevent and identify issues early on, as well as effective home remedies and vet care if that is an accessible option. Posting a thread in the Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures section of BYC is always a good idea to receive support and targeted advice to your situation.
Please comment with questions or feedback and I will endeavour to reply and/or make changes as appropriate. This is my first article, as suggested I write by a member here on BYC, and it's mostly knowledge I've pulled from my head from various sources along the way -- so I may have missed things or gotten things wrong.
Wishing you a peaceful and healthy flock!
Maggie.
