Egg bound?

[okiebirds]

Looks like I may have a egg bound female. Last night she seemed fine but this morning she's on the cage floor puffed, breathing hard, eyes shut and very lethargic. I have not examined her as she is weak and wanted to get her in a heated hospital cage immediately.

I gave her a couple of drops of calcium plus to the beak and have her in the bathroom with a hot shower running.

Should I go ahead and olive oil her vent? And is there anything else I can do for her?

[cindy]

Place a heat lamp on her, right away. The steam will only chill her once you remove her from it and her feathers stay wet.

[okiebirds]

A few hours later she's feeling better, still weak but eating and drinking a little now. Still no egg

[cindy]

It can take a while, try not to handle her and leave the heat on her 24/7.

[okiebirds]

Im really attached to this female and she is the mate to the blue male in my avatar. This was her 2nd clutch and there were two eggs in their nest so I put them in another Gouldian nest that has 5 in it already.

She's really perked up now but still no egg. She looked so sad in that little cage so I put her back in with her mate even though I shouldnt have. He attacked her...so back in the hospital cage she went.

If she pulls out of this she'll go back into the female cage and will be done breeding this year. Im not going to risk her having this problem again. She is my favorite female and produced me 5 blues and 1 normal in her first clutch so Im really proud of her. I hope her two eggs I gave over to another pair of Gouldians today will hatch.

About my little avatar male. He hasnt called for her at all. Matter of fact he has been singing up a storm. So I grabbed another female that is not paired up and put her in with him. It wasnt 10 seconds and he was posturing up singing and hopping. Another 10 secs and he was trying to mount her. He's such a stud...

[okiebirds]

egg passed

My girl is feeling much better!

[cindy]

Stan did the egg pass through like that? If so be very thankful it did not break inside her. That could have either cost your hen her life or her health.

I would definately rest her, no more breeding for a bit. Give her lots of nurishing foods, build up her calcium intake prior to breeding next time.

[okiebirds]

Cindy the egg was soft and slightly crushed but intact. I papered the hospital cage with white notebook paper so I could see if/when she was passed anything. The sharp edges you see on the egg are from egg shell fragments she was munching on.

I gave her the calcium drops on the beak, added more to the water in her hospital cage, steamed her in the bathroom for about 45 minutes, continued with the heat lamp afterward and gave her a egg to munch on. About two hours later she passed the egg.

[cindy]

Stan, I am very glad she is ok...keep her warm if she seems a little off. I hope you new pairing brings lots of eggs/chicks!!!!

[tt101]

Ouch that looks like a very painful experience, I'm glad your female pulled through and i hope your new pairings go well.

[okiebirds]

Found a egg at the bottom of the cage today she is in. Cracked so had to toss it but I know its from her. Hope she is over her ordeal. She seems back to her fiesty ole self

[FeatherHarp]

You are fortunate she pulled through after passing an egg that looked like that. I lost a female Owl a couple months ago because she tried to lay an egg similar to your photo but only about half came out. I lost her a few days later.

I hope she will do well for you.

[tt101]

Yes indeed she is quite the fighter. But deffinitly resting her like you said would be best.