Signs of egg binding: go to an avian vet now
- Straining
- A swollen belly
- Sitting on the cage floor
- Weak or low energy
- Fluffed, with eyes closed
- Tail bobbing with each breath, or trouble breathing
- Blood in the droppings
- A sudden stop in laying
- Tissue showing from the vent
One sign is enough. You do not need to have seen an egg. Many parrots look alike, so a bird you believe is male could be female unless a DNA test or a vet exam has shown otherwise.
Never try to remove an egg at home. Do not wait until morning.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, Reproductive Disorders of Pet Birds; Reproductive Diseases of Pet Birds · Benedict et al., Scientific Reports 2022
What to do on the way to the vet
- Put your bird in a secure, well-ventilated carrier. Cover at least three sides with a towel, so it is dark and quiet inside.
- Handle your bird as little as possible, above all if they are struggling to breathe.
- If your bird is fluffed or seems cold, and has not been somewhere hot, keep them warm, at about 80 to 90 °F (27 to 32 °C). Warmth is for the trip. It does not replace the vet.
- Warmth has a limit. If your bird pants or holds their wings away from their body, they are too hot. Do not warm them. Lower the heat.
- Use no heat lamp or heater with a non-stick coating, and nothing that gives off fumes or smoke.
- Go now. Do not wait to see if the egg passes.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, Injuries and Accidents; Introduction to Disorders and Diseases · Association of Avian Veterinarians, Signs of Illness
Can I treat egg binding at home? What never to do
- Never try to remove the egg.
- Do not press on the belly or chest.
- Do not give calcium unless your vet tells you to.
- Do not syringe-feed, or drop food or water into the beak. Your bird can breathe it in.
- Do not give any drug or remedy your vet did not prescribe.
- Do not wait to see how your bird is tomorrow.
You may read about calcium, lubricant or a steam bath at home. We found no qualifying source for any of them as a home step. Do not spend time on them. Go.
No source states the egg, belly and calcium lines, so those are our own advice, the same as the app’s. The rest come from Merck and the Association of Avian Veterinarians.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, Injuries and Accidents of Pet Birds · Association of Avian Veterinarians, Signs of Illness in Companion Birds
Who it affects
Which birds get egg bound?
- Cockatiels, budgies and lovebirds are commonly affected, and larger parrots can be too.
- First-time layers can be affected.
- Overweight, inactive birds: egg binding is most common in these birds.
- Birds low in calcium. Calcium deficiency can lead to egg binding, and seed-based diets are low in calcium.
- Repeat layers. Excessive laying, if untreated, often leads to more serious problems, including egg binding.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, Reproductive Disorders; Reproductive Diseases; Nutritional Diseases; Nutritional Disorders
At the clinic
What does a vet do for egg binding?
Merck says egg-bound birds “often present as emergencies.” Vets usually stabilize the bird first, with supportive care before any attempt to remove the egg: fluids, calcium by injection, raised humidity and warmth. A warm cage with a humidifier may help the egg pass. If it does not, sedation, anesthesia and manual removal may be needed.
These are clinic treatments, not home steps. Tell your vet about any eggs, recent or past. A bird that laid years ago can still get reproductive disease.
No avian vet yet? Here is how to find an avian vet. A dropping that looks wrong has its own guide: the bird droppings chart.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, Reproductive Diseases of Pet Birds; Reproductive Disorders of Pet Birds
Repeat laying
What is chronic egg laying?
A bird that keeps laying is at higher risk, so this is worth raising before it becomes an emergency.
What counts as too many eggs?
Excessive laying means repeat clutches, or more eggs than normal. A clutch is one round of eggs. Most pet birds lay 2 to 4, though cockatiels and budgies can lay much larger clutches. We have no trusted number for each species, so ask your avian vet what is normal for your bird.
Many eggs can drain a bird’s calcium. Low calcium can cause muscle twitches and seizures that can kill. Soft or misshapen shells can point to low calcium. Calcium supplements are for your vet to decide.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, Reproductive Diseases of Pet Birds · Mitchell, Semin Avian Exot Pet Med 2005
What can set it off?
- Long days, with more than 12 hours of light
- A nest box, a nest-like spot or a mate
- Food that never runs out, or a high-fat diet
- A very close bond with you. Hand-raised birds often see their owner as a mate
- Stroking the back. Pet your bird only on the head
- More baths than usual, in some birds
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, Reproductive Diseases; Reproductive Disorders; Skin and Feather Disorders · Association of Avian Veterinarians, How to Introduce Bathing to Your Bird
What to raise with your avian vet
- Day length. Your vet may shorten it, and can tell you how many hours.
- Nest boxes and nesting material. Treatment usually means taking these out, along with toys your bird is overly bonded to and any mate.
- The eggs. Do not take eggs away without asking your avian vet. That is our own advice. One review says a cockatiel’s eggs should stay, because taking them may lead to more eggs. It covers cockatiels only.
- Diet. Any change goes through your vet. Do not cut food on your own. See what parrots eat.
- Medicine. Your vet decides. One vet medicine stopped laying for at least 180 days in a study of healthy cockatiels. ParrotSense never suggests one.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, Reproductive Diseases of Pet Birds · Mitchell, Semin Avian Exot Pet Med 2005 · Summa et al., Am J Vet Res 2017
In ParrotSense
An egg log that puts the warning first
- The egg-binding signs and the steps for the trip come first on the screen
- A dated egg log, with shell quality and same clutch or new clutch
- A prompt to talk to your avian vet after 2 clutches in a year, more than 4 eggs in a clutch, a soft shell, or any egg in a bird with a past problem
- A bird known male by DNA test is not asked about eggs, and the log is still there if an egg turns up
- Eggs and clutches go into the vet report. The app never suggests a medicine
Launching first on iPhone and iPad, with Android and Amazon soon after.
Questions
Frequently asked
How do I know if my bird is egg bound?
How long can a bird be egg bound?
Can I help my bird pass an egg at home?
Can a bird I think is male be egg bound?
Why does my bird keep laying eggs?
Should I take my bird’s eggs away?
Do soft-shelled eggs matter?
ParrotSense keeps a dated log of your bird’s eggs, shows when to talk to your avian vet about repeat laying, and puts the egg-binding signs at the top of the screen.
See the egg log