Can An Egg-Bound Chicken Poop?

Every chicken owner will experience an egg-bound hen at some point, despite proper care.

During this time, people will worry about their birds, and for a good reason.

One worry they may have is if their egg-bound chicken can poop.

Egg-bound chickens don’t normally poop as the egg is blocking the digestive tract. If there is defecation, it’s usually loose and runny. Egg-binding is dangerous and needs to be taken care of quickly, or the hen may die within 48 hours. Treatment by a vet is the best option.

Be sure to read ahead and learn more about this condition and how to keep your chickens alive.

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When a chicken is egg-bound, they have an egg stuck in their body.

This blocks up much of their digestive system.

While it’s possible for a chicken to poop when eggbound, this isn’t likely.

Typically, if there is poop, it’ll be really loose as droppings with any substance to them will be blocked.

This is part of why it’s so dangerous for a chicken to be egg-bound.

Make sure you get your bird to a vet right away if you suspect a stuck egg.

What Is An Egg-Bound Chicken?

Chickens lay several eggs per week all year long, though with lower numbers during the winter and stopping while molting.

In rare cases, they’ll lay up to two eggs in one day (though the chicken won’t lay three eggs in one day, as the myth says).

As chickens lay more and more eggs, there’s a chance of becoming egg-bound.

Extra-productive chickens have an increased chance of being egg-bound, though any hen has this chance as this condition can affect any hen.

Really, this can affect any animal that lays eggs!

In a word, egg-bound is when the egg gets stuck inside the chicken and won’t come out.

To be more descriptive, the egg is unable to leave the hen’s oviduct and remains inside, growing and blocking the other essential digestive systems.

This condition will kill a hen if not taken care of.

The egg needs to come out as soon as possible.

Warning! While some skilled poulterers can remove the eggs on the farm, we recommend you take your chicken to a vet right away for professional help.

If a vet isn’t an option, be prepared to attempt removal yourself.

Better yet, as you get into keeping chickens, make friends with others in your area. We have someone a couple of doors down we call whenever we need help.

What Causes Egg-Bound In Chickens?

If you keep chickens for any length of time, odds are you’ll have at least one egg-bound chicken at some point.

It’s good to know what causes this condition, so you’re prepared to lower the risk of it happening.

It’s not completely preventable, as this section will show, but there are some things you can do.

Calcium Deficiency Or Nutritional Deficiency

Calcium is one of the key nutrients in forming a hard shell on the egg.

With a calcium deficiency, the shell is too soft.

As the muscles in the oviduct push the egg out, it uses a good grip on the shell to force it out.

Soft shells end up deforming under pressure and sliding out from the muscles.

Once deformed, they tend to get stuck in weird positions, causing an egg-bound hen.

Other nutrient deficiencies may cause issues in the laying process through muscle weakness, improper egg formation, and inflammation.

As with almost all things related to chicken health, diet is king for long-term health.

Obesity

Obesity isn’t good in people, and it’s not good in hens either.

Yeah, we love our birds and want to spoil them, especially if you’re not a commercial farmer like we aren’t, but treats cause issues with egg-laying.

When a chicken is obese, it closes up the oviducts somewhat, making it more likely, and the egg will get stuck as it’s pushed through the more narrow passage.

Obesity also affects the egg production process. Obese hens tend to create deformed eggs, which make them harder to grip and more likely to get lodged.

Unusually-Shaped Eggs

Oval and round eggs are the perfect shapes for passing through the oviducts.

Some hens are prone to laying misshapen eggs, and these are ones you need to keep an eye on as the risk is much greater.

The same is true with oversized eggs.

Oversized eggs can actually rip and tear the walls of the oviduct. This can cause infection and inflammation on top of potential egg-binding.

Oviduct Infection

Infection of the oviduct is terrible for chickens and needs to be taken care of right away.

Infections raise inflammation, narrowing the passageway.

It also causes a ton of pain; chickens in pain are stressed and much more likely to hold onto eggs until they feel safe and stable again.

Some infections can even result in a layer of pus which further blocks the oviduct.

Only a vet can help with this. So go to the vet!

Premature Laying

Premature laying happens when a hen starts producing eggs before her body is ready to do so.

Chickens can start laying around 16 weeks, but some start earlier than this, and some are too small to do so safely even at this time.

The oviduct is one of the last things to develop in young chicks.

The oviduct needs a protective layer. Without it, the eggs rip the tissue easier.

Unfortunately, this happens late in development.

Sadly, there’s nothing to do to help chickens who lay prematurely. The best thing to do is keep an eye on them for issues.

Egg-Retention Due To Environment

Chickens are unique in the animal kingdom in that they’ll lay eggs all the time, even without a male rooster present to fertilize the eggs.

Still, they’re sensitive creatures and don’t like to lay eggs when stressed or afraid for their life.

Instinctively, they hold onto their eggs if they feel like they won’t survive.

If they retain eggs too long, this raises the chance of becoming egg-bound.

Keep your chickens happy with a stable home, temperature and safe from any encounters with predators.

In this case, a rooster may help as hens feel safer when a rooster is around to warn them of predators.

Sure, you’ll keep them in their coops, and they’ll be safe, but they don’t always understand that.

Chickens are clever but not THAT smart.

How Long Can An Egg-Bound Chicken Survive?

Being egg-bound is a dangerous condition.

In most cases, a hen will die after 24-48 hours.

In some cases, it’ll be longer if they haven’t developed an infection or the egg isn’t too big or create a complete blockage.

Still, you have a time limit on how long your chicken is safe, so act quickly.

Take your hen to the vet or get another expert to help you clear the egg.

Even after the egg is cleared, the chance of infection is high, so expect to give your chicken a little extra attention for a while.

Signs Of An Egg-Bound Chicken

With the dire need to help a chicken if it’s egg-bound, you need to memorize the symptoms to watch for.

Fortunately, the symptoms clearly show when something’s wrong.

Here is what to watch for:

Loss of appetite
Lack of drinking
Lethargy
Lack of movement altogether
Waddling vs. Normal Walking
Belly pushing in and out in an attempt to pass the egg
Lots of sudden sitting
Droopy comb and wattles
Diarrhea

Egg-binding happens quickly, and the symptoms are severe.

Unlike general sickness, where some symptoms may not even show, egg-bound hens show all of these within a short period.

As soon as you notice all this, take your pet to the vet or gently feel for the egg yourself.

Tips For Helping Egg-Bound Chickens

Use More Calcium In Their Diet

Hard shells make a chicken less likely to be egg-bound, and calcium is the number one nutrient that makes a shell hard.

Increase the calcium with a supplement or specially-rich calcium chicken feed to help prevent the issues in the first place.

Give Your Hen A Warm Bath

A warm water bath will help to relax the muscles and allow the oviduct to open and let the egg pass through easier.

Don’t submerge your chicken in the water. Chickens can swim, but they don’t need to be washed.

On a side note, check out our article, finally answering the question: Can chickens drown in the rain?

Get a tub of water up to room temperature or slightly above room temperature. Help soak the chicken’s back end for a while.

This may help.

Provide A Good Home And Nest Box

If there aren’t enough nest boxes, a chicken may not want to lay its egg.

Offer at least one nest box for every 3-4 hens.

If you notice dominant hens tend to protect the nest boxes, make some more boxes in a different spot.

Ensure Balanced Nutrition

With an unbalanced diet, chickens can’t produce amino acids to build up protein.

Proteins are a critical element of egg production, so they need a balanced diet.

A chicken diet based around chicken feed is usually good enough. The issues come in when people feed their fowls chicken scratch and “scraps” too much or exclusively.

Use A Lubricant In The Oviduct

Use a safe lubricant such as a KY jelly around the cloaca to help make the egg pass through the oviduct easier.

Provide Exercise

Obesity is an issue, and sometimes chickens are simply lazy.

Encourage exercise by using frozen cabbage hung from a string as a way to make them jump and chase the food.

Also, toss berries around the pen to make them chase after it.

Speaking of good foods for playing, check out these articles for possible options:

Give Your Chicken A Massage

A gentle belly rub may help too. In some cases, you’ll feel the egg.

Start in the middle of the stomach and rub gently down toward the rear. Use firm pressure but don’t push.