FINCHforum

Don't know what to do about my owl hen...

She was eggbound about four days ago, but after a heat lamp, calcium supplements, egg food and shells, she was able to pass the egg. It was the fourth egg in her clutch. After she passed the egg, she seemed to be doing very well. She was responding to the male's calls and had the general demeanor of a healthy owl finch.

But a day later, she seemed eggbound again, I suppose with her fifth egg. She still hasn't been able to pass it, despite the hospital treatment and oil on her vent. Starting to consider the possibility that she might not actually be eggbound, that it could be something else. She has lost a lot of feathers, perhaps out of stress. She looks puffy, like perhaps there is an egg, but if she's sick, her puffiness could be for several reasons. Does anybody have an idea of what it could be, if not eggbound?

It's been a few days now. I don't know how long hens can be eggbound, but it seems like she is running out of time, if that's what it is.

I don't like the sounds of this Greg - be sure to keep the heatlamp on her until someone can make a reasonable suggestion as to what is bothering her. She doesn't look great.

Are her droppings normal? Is she eating/drinking?

Poor girl.

Few questions, how old is she? What is the room temperature? How many clutches has she had?

Some things you can try, a little wheatgerm oild to the seed, a damp towel over the cage to provide humidity. A little miner oil to the vent.

I have a pdf file on reproduction and egg binding if you would like me to send it to via email. if you pm me your email address I can forward this to you.

There are times when a hen will become eggbound, some are due to adhesions forming and not letting the egg easily pass or pass at all.

Is she eating and drinking? trying to pass the egg and laying eggs takes a lot out of a hen and depletes their reserves....try giving her a boiled egg grated and crush the eggshell into very fine pieces. She will need the calcium for the shell and the protein from the eggsfood.

Can you see under her vent without disturbing her to much, is it soiled, yellow gooey?

She is a little over a year old. Room temp is around 77-78. She has had three clutches, none with any successful chicks.

Her droppings are regular, she just pooped and it looks normal. We made her a fresh batch of eggfood yesterday, and she ate some of it, along with some millet. She has also been eating eggshells. Her water was treated with Thrive, and she has been drinking that as well. She just doesn't have much energy at all.

Her vent doesn't look yellowish at all, but it is hard to see and I don't want to disturb her.

Thank you so much for your suggestions and your quick response.

sending it...if you can still edit you may want to remove your email address.

Thanks so much!

Very sad to say that she did not make it.

It seems highly likely that she was eggbound. I'm very sad, she was one of my favorites. I'm glad at least that she is no longer under the stress of being eggbound.

Thanks again for your help.

Greg, I am so sorry. She is at peace now. You tried everything you could to help her. Your in my thoughts.

Thanks Cindy. I really appreciate that email you sent me, very good info.

You're welcome. She left eggs behind? If so will you let the male sit on them or give them to fosters?

Oddly enough, my two shafttail sisters have been sitting in the owl nest. There were two eggs in there from before she started having problems. So who knows... I may have some owl chicks fostered by shafttails, if they even do that.

I hope they do Greg! Crossing my fingers! That would be a gift if the hatched and fledged out!

So sorry! hopefully they do foster for you"

Sorry you lost her.

I don't know much at all about who fosters what, but there is someone local advertising young gouldians raised by shafttails, so there's hope.

Dave, my zebra raised an owl chick. The pair werent good parents though, once the chick fledged they were thrown by the wing begging and stopped feeding. If the shaft tails do raise the young just keep a watchful eye on whether they continue to feed it out until weaned. Hopefully they will, shaft tails are usually very good parents.

Keep us posted on the eggs