The chicken vet - How  To Treat An Egg Bound Chicken

1. Most "egg binding" in chickens presented to Melbourne Chicken vet are not egg-bound- There is usually no egg stuck in the chicken.  Egg dystocia in chickens is uncommon, rather internal laying or uterine disease is the cause .
2. When a chicken is egg bound, it is mostly due to poor nutrition and low calcium, poor hygiene and uterine infections. 
3. Most cases suspected of egg binding are really the syndrome of fluid build up or egg peritonitis or Build up of solid yolky material in the chicken uterus.

So lets look at  "a stuck egg" or egg binding 

What Is Egg Binding?

Egg binding is when an egg gets stuck, usually in the vagina, is usually fully former   and a chicken can’t be "laid". Chicken Vet -Signs are of repeated efforts to lay, and straining..

What if I said egg binding in chickens almost doesn’t happen? What if most of the internet advice and guide books on how to treat your egg bound chicken are not only wrong and a waste of time, but actually harmful to a sick chook with a completely different problem?

The disease that people wrongly think is egg binding is the serious disease  of backyard chickens.

Yolk Peritonitis in chickens or abdominal fluid build up vs Egg Binding chickens 

Egg peritonitis, also called internal lay, when one or many egg yolks are lost into the abdomen.  They are ovulated and miss the Fimbria or fingers of fallopian tube and land up in the abdomen. Mammals ovulate a microscopic single cell, but birds ovulate a large yolk with the microscopic cell. Normally egg yolks are passed from the ovary to the chicken uterus or oviduct. However, in egg peritonitis the yolk is free in the celomic cavity - and the chicken becomes swollen with a fluid build up.

It happens mainly in  high-producing  egg layering breeds.

Hyaline or ISA Browns are the commonest point-of-lay pullets sold  They are beautiful animals with unique personalities and become loved like any pets. However, despite the fact that a chicken can live 8 or 9 years.  A fair number of egg layers  die of reproductive tract disease between two and three years of age.

Treatment Of Egg Peritonitis, or fluid in the abdomen in chickens

Egg peritonitis birds seen at Melbourne Chicken vet   looks like any sick chook; quiet, fluffed up, swollen tummies,and  not laying. This is an emergency and should be seen by an expert chicken vet quickly. 

Treatments or egg peritonitis in chickens.

1. Drain out the fluid build up using large bore plastic catheters.  This is done during the consultation with the chicken vet at Bird-vet Melbourne.
2. The expert chicken vet will implant a contraceptive implant to stop further ovulation and give the uterus a rest.  The chicken contraceptive last about 3 months.
3. The chicken will be given off label antibiotics and anti inflammatories. 
4. The bird will be given fluids and a crop feed and calcium.

Many  birds then go home and recover.  We recommend further chicken contraception.

Some chickens seen will have cancer, that is often not treatable. 

A fair number have a uterus filled with dried Yolk that is easily removed by an experienced chicken vet.  An expert chicken vet can open the uterus and remove the dried material quickly , less than thirty minutes from start to finish, and safely greater than 95% chance of a good outcome for uterine removal of yolks.in most cases,
 

A case  below was presented as egg binding in a chicken.  The swelling and straining was from an enlarged uterus.  the Chicken vets at Melbourne Chicken vet removed 700g of yolks from the uterus.  This chicken left the chicken vet home with its owners 48 hours after Surgery. 

pic 1 - uterine yolk removed 

Pic 2 - the chicken veterinary SUrgical team

Our patient going home with her owners that love her .