FINCHforum

My zebra female was lying on the bottom of the cage 3 days ago, eyes closed, puffed up, and not reacting or caring about being touched.

I put a heat lamp on her during the day, and in the evening she was a little bit better, and next morning she was in her nest sleeping.

Yesterday and today she seemed 100% OK, no difference from normal.

This evening, I find her again at the bottom, puffed up like a balloon, not caring... What is going on?

I first thought she was eggbound. She had laid one single egg a week ago, and nothing in between. But since nothing has come out the last days, I think that is ruled out.

Have you checked her vent, to see if it looks like an egg she was trying to pass broke, you may see yolk or sticky material.

My Strawberry hen did the same....acted egg bound one day, no egg laid.....Recovered, then went through the same....no egg....She did this about 3 times in a row on me, and never laid an egg....I still don't know what happened, but added heat for her, and she recovered....She has not done it again since.

I have had a hen act eggbound and then never pass the egg, either that or she ate it before I could find it. Anyway, it does sound like she could be eggbound, so I would keep up with the heat. If you have liquid calcium, one drop directly in her beak helps a lot. If she keeps doing this, then I would pull her from breeding and let her rest, also increase her calcium intake with liquid calcium in the water at least once a week.

Today she looks fine again... Strange.

I had a post here that seems to have been removed.
I asked if the process of excrementing is a definite contra-indicative to being egg bound, as I have witnessed aforementioned relieving of excrement?

Same problem here with my Shaft-Tail hen! 2-3 time acting egg-bound! and never laid since a single egg!... despite all the heat, the calcium added, cutlebone, extra"bonusses" , mealworms! Nothing!