Egg bound DO & DONโT
โ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ถ๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ต
Chicken skin is highly impermeable due to its structure and lack of sweat glands. The magnesium is not penetrating the skin, entering the bloodstream and travelling to the oviduct.
It sounds lovely and relaxing for us, but for a hen who is already uncomfortable, being submerged in water and having wet feathers dried out under a loud hair dryer usually causes sheer panic. Her cortisol, adrenaline spike and those stress hormones can completely halt the very contractions she desperately needs to pass the egg.
Placing her in a dark, quiet, and warm isolation box is much better. A relaxing environment so she can focus on her muscle movement is what she really needs.
โ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ด๐ด ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ?
Often, it is just a mechanical glitch in the internal production line. As an egg travels down the oviduct, it has to spin and rotate to land the correct way around at the vent. If the egg is unusually large, sitting sideways, or has a soft shell that makes it impossible to rotate smoothly, it gets physically wedged. It is basically a structural traffic jam.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐บ
Calcium does far more than build bones and eggshells. Ionised blood calcium is the exact mineral responsible for firing muscle contractions. The oviduct is one massive muscle working incredibly hard. When a hen is laying, her calcium reserves are under constant demand. Being low in calcium means the oviduct simply runs out of fuel and gets exhausted. Administering an easily absorbed liquid calcium sends a rapid spike into her bloodstream. It acts as a direct stimulant, giving those tired muscles the immediate energy they need to contract and safely expel the egg.
These are liquid calcium products for birds available in most pet /fodder stores.
– Liquid Gold by Passwell
– Vetsense Avi Calcium
– Vetafarm Calcivet
– Bainbridge Poultry Calcium Supplement
We hope this bit of insight helps clear the air on what can be a very stressful situation for any poultry keeper. Understanding the actual mechanics of what our girls go through makes all the difference when they need a helping hand.
