Met an old timer at the feed store who showed me how to check for egg binding in 10 seconds

I was at Tractor Supply in Springfield last Saturday picking up oyster shells when this older guy saw me staring at a list of symptoms on my phone. He walked over and said "stop guessing and just feel her vent, it's right there." He showed me how to gently press below the tail to feel for a stuck egg, no internet needed. I had been stressing for two days about my Buff Orpington acting weird, and it turned out she just needed some calcium. That tip saved me a vet bill and probably the hen. Has anyone else had a random stranger at a store totally fix your chicken problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmasmith1mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, "check for egg binding" sounds like you're overcomplicating a hen that just needs more oyster shells.

flores.emma1mo ago

My neighbor's Buff Orpington died last spring from egg binding and I swear it was because they waited too long trying to figure it out with Google. I get what you're saying about oyster shells being the fix most of the time, but that 10 second check could be the difference between a hen that's just a little off and one that's actually dying. I've seen hens go from acting fine to dead in under 12 hours from a stuck egg that ruptured inside them. The old timer's trick is just a quick physical check, not a replacement for good calcium sources. Sometimes you gotta feel for yourself instead of guessing from a screen.