Is my chicken egg bound? Signs, treatment, emergency care

Most likely causes

1. 1. Young pullet, first eggs

   Immature reproductive tract + oversized first eggs.

2. 2. Calcium deficiency

   Weak shell muscles can't push the egg out.

3. 3. Obesity

   Fat deposits in the abdomen narrow the oviduct.

4. 4. Oversized or double-yolk egg

   Egg too large to pass.

5. 5. Stress or sudden cold

   Can interrupt normal contractions mid-lay.

What to check first

• Standing penguin-upright, tail-pumping or straining?
• Walking like a penguin, refusing to leave the nest?
• Lethargy, fluffed feathers, refusal to eat or drink?
• Gently feel between the legs near the vent, can you feel a hard egg?
• How long since she was last seen normal? (12+ hours is critical)

Home care that works

• Move her to a warm, dark, quiet space (90°F+ if possible).
• Soak her lower half in a warm Epsom salt bath (1 cup per gallon of water) for 20-30 minutes.
• Lubricate the vent gently with vegetable oil or KY jelly.
• Offer calcium, crushed Tums or liquid calcium gluconate (Calcium Plus).
• After the bath, return her to the warm space and let her rest. Repeat soak in 2 hours if no egg.
• Do NOT try to manually break or extract the egg, yolk spilled inside is fatal.

Call a vet if

• Egg not passed within 4-6 hours of warm soak + calcium.
• Hen is collapsed, gasping, or non-responsive.
• Visible prolapse (tissue hanging from vent).
• Foul smell from vent (peritonitis already started).

Frequently asked questions

Related symptoms

• Why is my chicken lethargic and standing still?
• Why is my chicken laying soft or thin-shelled eggs?
• Why is my chicken not laying eggs?