Egg bind prevention?

[Dayna]

I was wondering... along with using calcium can you also use wheat germ oil and cod liver oil as a preventative for egg binding? Or is it best to just use it in those emergency situations where you do get an egg bound hen?

[cindy]

I've used wheat germ oil mixed in a small dish of seed, I left it out for a couple of hours in the morning for hens that required extra help passing eggs.

You can get wheat germ oil at the health food store, it must be kept in the fridge or it will spoil. Other use different types of oils.

Heat, calcium plus, cuttlebone (grated in a dish with finely crushed egg shells).

[debbie276]

To prevent egg binding your bird needs a well balanced diet specifically a diet which includes calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous and other other trace minerals.
Some food sources for calcium are dark leafy green, broccoli and dandelion. Popular supplemental sources are oyster shells, egg shells, cuttlefish bone and mineral blocks. Some sources for vitamin D other then sunlight are fish oil and egg yolk.
I always have available to my birds oyster shells and egg shells and feed hard boiled eggs and have never had a case of egg binding.