Egg binding

Egg binding

Egg binding is when a bird produces an egg and cannot lay it. There can be various reasons for the occurrence of egg binding. Egg binding is very serious, and an avian vet must be consulted right away if you suspect your bird may be egg bound.

Symptoms:

• Sitting on the floor a lot. She may sit on the floor lots to lay, but if she is there all the time for long periods of time, she may be having problems.
• Excessive straining. You may notice her contracting in the stomach area and panting/breathing heavily. This is a sure sign that she is in trouble.
• Visual clues, such as a large swollen looking area around her vent. You will see this whether or not the bird is egg bound if she has an egg, but if it is very obvious and she is not passing it and it is there for a long time, she will be having problems.
• Larger droppings. The presence of the egg in the oviduct means that there is less room for the bird to pass droppings, and you will notice that your bird goes less frequently. When she does go, you will see her straining hard, and a huge dropping will come out. These big poops can be unbelievable large, like the mass of 10 regular budgie sized poops, the sort of size you would expect from a larger parakeet/parrot. The bigger the poops get, the closer the egg is to the cloacae, where it is due to be expelled. If they are huge for days, your bird is likely to be having trouble passing that egg.