An egg-bound hen has an egg stuck and can’t pass it — it’s an emergency and can turn fatal within a day.
Signs: straining, tail pumping, sitting fluffed and lethargic, walking penguin-style, not eating, sometimes a lump you can see or feel near the vent.
What keepers commonly try:
- Move her somewhere warm and humid (a warm — not hot — bath for ~15–20 min, or a warm steamy spot) to relax the muscles.
- A little calcium (a crushed Tums or liquid cal) can help the muscles contract.
- Keep her calm and hydrated.
Do not pull or break the egg inside her — a broken shell can cut her and cause infection.
Prevention: adequate calcium (free-choice oyster shell), not breeding very young hens, and good body condition.
General keeper info, not veterinary advice — a bound hen that doesn’t pass the egg needs a vet. Has anyone pulled a hen through this?