Is it the weather?

[laurab]

So far this year I have had 5 birds suffer from egg binding, one of them I hate to admit was my Pekin, and my latest casualty is a quail.

Luckily, I am up early to see to the birds, and I am aware of changes in my birds, and I have been fortunate to get the effected bird out and treated very quickly.

There is always the chance that I might miss the sign. I have NEVER experienced this problem on such a large scale before!

I do give the birds a varied diet and fresh water. I treat the water once a week with calcium supplement (as suggested on the bottle).

What is going wrong???!!!

[Strawblady2000]

Hi Laura,

Well, there are several factors that can bring it about, but it doesnt seem coincidental to have so many just randomly.

Diet, stress, cold, excessive egg laying and age/size are the main factors. Has it been cooler? Are the eggs exceptionally larger? Has it been very dry regarding humidity? Low humidity decreases muscle function.

From their diet to the calcium, that doesnt appear to signal a cause. Calcium, Vitamin F and Vitamin A are all important, but Im sure your diet is fine. I wish my birds ate as well, lol.

Is something in your setup different this year? I mean, are the hens unable to settle in and lay do to an outside disturbance.

Just trying to help troubleshoot. Oh, and HATS OFF TO YOU for recognizing it and being attentive!!!!!!!!!

[Waxbillman]

hello Laura

i think you are right on that one Laura the weather has done alsorts the warm weather, get them egg producing then it turns cold

as you know full well, i haven't had any eggs and thus no problems, that added to the fact that i shut all my birds in heated sheds.

i have heard a very good tip to sort out a egg bound birds - a list resort that works, a sterilised needle pushed into the the abdomen 2 or 3 times, never failed apparently and the bird recovers fast.

Matthew

[laurab]

NEEDLE!!! I'll stick to the heat treatment! ;-)

[kenny]

hi matt
sounds a bit drastic to me does that,but its odd that i had the quail eggbound aswell ,it must be the weather as it was 40 degrees in my shed last night what with the rain and the constantly changing temperature no wonder the birds dont have a clue whats going on!

ken8-)

[Waxbillman]

this man i got the advice from, is a very good breeder, and swears blind it works.

i doubt i would do that though

Matthew

[kenny]

hi matt
what is it supposed to do puncture the egg or something?

ken

[laurab]

Hi Kenny

It probably scares her into making sure she lays it next time :-D

[kenny]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[PAUL HEARN]

Hi Laura,

I'm sorry to say I can't answer your question,:roll: but I have to agree with your last post regarding puncturing the abdomen on an eggbound hen,:lol: if that happened to me I would make damn sure I laid the next egg with no problems.:lol:

Paul.:shock:

[Strawblady2000]

Wow, lol...

Work or not work...I've had an amniocentesis...and that ranks right up there with a root canal with no anesthesia!

Would be interested to hear more about how and why this works, though, as I just learned to crop feed without shoving the crop needle through the birds vent, I'd probably not try this, lol.

[kenny]

hi nikki
wow no anasthetic well i have had needles stuck in me but not in that part of my anatomy

ken:roll:

[Strawblady2000]

Kenny,

If THAT part was part of your anatomy, lol, then you'd have a whole different ballgame...no pun intended.

LOL!!!

[Waxbillman]

i'm just relaying the advice, the man who does it says it works every times, he even did it a Stafford on a bicheno a few years ago!
it must brake up the egg or something.

Matthew

[kenny]

hi nikki
you get the drift i meant anatomy in general,not mine in particular,you saucy madam


matt /it still sounds a bit to much to me ,i dont think i could do it myself if it was the only thing left with no option i might just force myself but it would have to be life or death for me to do it,did this guy do it as a demonstration or was the hen really eggbound!


ken