Egg-bound Gouldian

[kcfd55]

I saw one of my Gouldians, a white breasted, with signs of being egg-bound. I was able to catch her and put her in a small cage with a light for heat.

I tried to find a local vet to see if I could purchase some liquid calcium, but the only vet I could find that had any experience with birds had little to offer. She had experience with large hook bills, but none with finches. She didn't have any liquid calcium. I will purchase some today.

I found the sticky here on treatment of egg-binding, and did what it said. After two days, the hen was able to pass the egg!

This is one of the reasons I am VERY glad to have found this forum. The hen would probably have died otherwise.

Mike

[Flight Feathers]

Glad to hear she got the egg out and is better now!

Yes this is an amazing forum!

[kcfd55]

Flight:

Glad to hear she got the egg out and is better now!

Thank you.

I do have one question, though. How likely is she to become egg-bound again? Is this something intrinsic to a particular bird, or was it just bad luck?

Mike

[wildbird]

As long as she is getting enough calcium and vitamin D or sunshine, and exercise, she should be ok. I had a female that was egg bound and then laid a soft shelled egg, She was ok after that, and never laid any more eggs. She was not in with a male, as I did not want to breed them. Always keep some liquid calcium on hand, just in case.

[Flight Feathers]

Flight:

Glad to hear she got the egg out and is better now!

Thank you.

I do have one question, though. How likely is she to become egg-bound again? Is this something intrinsic to a particular bird, or was it just bad luck?

Mike

I've usually found with Zebs once they get egg bound once it usually keeps happening. Or at least it did to the two I knew of that got egg bound and they both died from it. One of them get egg bound a lot of times first. That may just have been unlucky tho.

[kcfd55]

Wildbird:

Always keep some liquid calcium on hand, just in case.

That is on my shopping list for today. When I asked various stores that carried, birds, I found much confusion about what that was.

Mike

[kcfd55]

Flight:

That may just have been unlucky tho.

I hope that you were .

I don't want to perpetuate a bird line with birds that have a flaw that can kill. I would rather cull. This hen is a white breast, so perhaps is more inbred than other lines.

Mike