The Poultry Keeper

spud · Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 5 Location: haute vienne

Hi all, my neighbour keep chickens and one of them keeps becoming egg bound, 3 times in the last couple of months. I have looked in all my chicken books but cannot find any thing that may prevent this, ie something in food or water, or maybe it could be something she is already eating though my neighbour feeds them corn morning and evening and a little bread about 4ish. They have acres to free range in and are in general extremely healthy. If anyone can offer any advice we would be very grateful.

Spud

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 2041 Location: norfolk

I think that you won't find much about it in chicken books because the usual "cure" is culling. You can't do anything about slightly malformed reproductive organs in chickens, which is the cause, so unless you want to spay your hen (at enormous cost) then she will probably continue to get egg bound.

jubilee · Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 125 Location: nottinghamshire

she could try a little codliver oil added to the diet, and i wouldn't feed bread, as this will depostit fat in areas internally, which could be the problem, a good layers pellet would help rather than the corn too, corn has very little in the way of nutrition, even though they are free rangers, they still need nutrients to keep them well inside. Apple cider vinegar in the drinking water is also an excellant tonic and helps aid the laying process. Not being funny, and no insults intended, but a bird can look great on the outside, but it's what's going on on the inside which matters more, and i think your freind needs to gradually change her hens diets to include a few more nutrients to avoid all the hassel which comes from feeding a bad one. xx