What to do if you have an egg-bound hen.

[Gigi1983]

Hi All. Just wanted to give you all some help when dealing with egg-bound hens. And let me tell you I've had a lot of experience in this area with my ex-battery girls. If your hen is showing signs of being egg bound and you have checked inside her vent and can feel an egg here is what to do:
1) Give her 250-400mg of calcium. Make sure the calcium supplement also has some magnesium in it.
2)Put her in an Epsom Salt bath for 15-20 mins.
3)Leave the shower running in the bathroom so the room is full of steam (and keep it running) and put her in a crate in the bathroom with the steam and the shower running until she passes the egg.

This has never failed me. Works every time. The magic trick is to follow up with the steam room if the Epsom Salt bath doesn't do the trick. Once you get them into the steam they usually pass the egg very quickly. I had one hen that took 2 hours in the steam to pass the egg, but usually they will do it within half an hour. But it's imperative to follow all the steps for it to work. Calcium first, then salt bath, then steam.

Best of luck all and let me know how you get on with this. Hopefully it will save you some heartache.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Thanks for the information! Generally, I give 500-600mg of calcium citrate for an extra boost. Also, lots of the time you can't feel an egg, especially soft-shelled ones which get stuck higher up.

But otherwise, thank you so much! I'll have to try the steam if this ever happens to me.

(Also, great job on taking in those ex-battery hens!)

 

[Gigi1983]

Thanks for the information! Generally, I give 500-600mg of calcium citrate for an extra boost. Also, lots of the time you can't feel an egg, especially soft-shelled ones which get stuck higher up.

But otherwise, thank you so much! I'll have to try the steam if this ever happens to me.

(Also, great job on taking in those ex-battery hens!)

Yes definitely use the steam. It is a life saver. 600mg of calcium isn't necessary in the method outlined above because you have both the salt bath and the steam which ensures the egg is passed. 600mg is probably a bit excessive in one sitting. Re the egg usually what happens is a normal egg is followed by a soft-shelled egg and the normal egg can be felt on examining inside the vent, so 9 times out of 10 you will feel an egg. But regardless if egg-binding is suspected and you can't feel an egg on physical examination use this method and if there is one there you will find out quickly enough.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Ok, thank you for the information! I just go off of what @azygous has told and helped me with.

 

[Gigi1983]

Ok, thank you for the information! I just go off of what @azygous has told and helped me with.

Ok yes I don't know what the other member told you but once the steam is in the mix there is no need to give so much calcium. If members come on to the forum with an egg-bound hen, the hen in question is in distress and the owner likely in a panic, they need to know the quickest and most effective method to help her pass the egg, and that is why I created this post. The calcium and Epsom Salts can be slow to work on their own and sometimes they don't work. Putting her in the steam afterwards completely speeds up the process and works like a dream every time. So to any member reading, if you have a hen in this situation I would strongly advise you to use the method I outlined above.

 

[Hypacha]

Hi All. Just wanted to give you all some help when dealing with egg-bound hens. And let me tell you I've had a lot of experience in this area with my ex-battery girls. If your hen is showing signs of being egg bound and you have checked inside her vent and can feel an egg here is what to do:
1) Give her 250-400mg of calcium. Make sure the calcium supplement also has some magnesium in it.
2)Put her in an Epsom Salt bath for 15-20 mins.
3)Leave the shower running in the bathroom so the room is full of steam (and keep it running) and put her in a crate in the bathroom with the steam and the shower running until she passes the egg.

This has never failed me. Works every time. The magic trick is to follow up with the steam room if the Epsom Salt bath doesn't do the trick. Once you get them into the steam they usually pass the egg very quickly. I had one hen that took 2 hours in the steam to pass the egg, but usually they will do it within half an hour. But it's imperative to follow all the steps for it to work. Calcium first, then salt bath, then steam.

Best of luck all and let me know how you get on with this. Hopefully it will save you some heartache.

Thanks so much for this...very eye-opening! I've had chickens for a year now and 2 of my 3 hens have not produced eggs for about 2 months. This procedure won't work for me as I do not have an outside shower and cannot take them inside. I have liquid magnesium and I give them calcium through coral and their own egg shells. I will see if I can try a Epsom salts bath outside in their pen and use some magnesium in the water that they drink. Wow... I had never heard of this until now....

 

[Gigi1983]

Thanks so much for this...very eye-opening! I've had chickens for a year now and 2 of my 3 hens have not produced eggs for about 2 months. This procedure won't work for me as I do not have an outside shower and cannot take them inside. I have liquid magnesium and I give them calcium through coral and their own egg shells. I will see if I can try a Epsom salts bath outside in their pen and use some magnesium in the water that they drink. Wow... I had never heard of this until now....

Hi there. Thanks for your comment. If yours have not laid for 2 months they have probably just stopped laying temporarily for some reason. If they were egg bound they would be lethargic with droopy wings, a penguin stance, looking miserable, etc and they usually die within 48hrs. So this is definitely not the case with yours. But yes, try this if at some point egg binding is suspected in your flock. All the best with your ladies.