# OT: Soft shell egg



## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

I have a good question in hopes someone can help me out or should I say my Pops. He has a female Cockitiel think she is older at least she looks older. He adopted her around 3 yrs ago. She has laid eggs before no problems but unfertile as their is no male. This time 1 year later she laid 1 egg so far and it is soft shell. Dad saved it for me to look at and she sat at the bottom of her cage for about 1 week to lay this egg, I told him to switch the egg with the dummy egg which she is laying on but this real egg is soft shell, upon opening it has only clear liquid in it and no yolk at all. She is so picky and will only eat Parakeet food and I bought some Oyster shell grit for her from the vet and she won't touch the stuff. Is there anything more he can do for this bird? He has bought expensive food for her and she won't eat it, vet said Cockatiels will stave themselves if they don't like the food. She is the fussiest bird I have ever met. She seems to be having a hard time laying these eggs.

Cindy


----------



## Cyn79 (Apr 10, 2006)

I raise parakeets and cockatiels. Soft eggs shell are a sign of calcium deficiency. It is okay that she only eat parakeets food. The only difference really between the two foods is the sunflower seeds. With so much eggs laying you have to be careful she doesn't get egg bound. That happens a lot in female cockatiel even with mates. try mixing some of the oyster grit in with her food. Also see if you can pick up some liquid or powdered vitamins and minerals with some calcium to put in her water supply that should help. 

But be sure to keep an eye on her bottom like i said they get egg bound very easy. 

This is some info I found from a cockatiel site I hope it is helpful...

*Cockatiels and Egg Binding *

The risk of egg binding can be minimized with proper nutrition and conscientious breeding. Oh, You think you have a male bird? Unless your bird had a DNA blood test you may have a female and not even know it.

*Egg Binding *

A cockatiel should be able to lay a clutch of 2-8 eggs, laying one egg every other day.(48 hours) Egg binding is the inability of a female bird to pass or expel an egg from her body. According to the Pennsylvania State University, Veterinary Science Extension, this condition is most commonly seen with smaller birds such as cockatiels, parakeets, canaries, lovebirds and finches. Even single female birds who have never had any contact with a male bird can still lay eggs and die from egg binding. The most common causes of egg binding are a very young female bird (under 18 months of age) laying her first egg, lack of calcium in the diet, an all seed diet which lacks vitamins and minerals necessary for the production of normal eggs and healthy muscles, allowing birds to breed all year long and chronic egg laying in single females. 

Lack of calcium, minerals and other nutrients, causes an egg with a soft shell that is larger than normal or abnormally shaped to be produced. The soft shell causes the egg to get trapped inside of the female's body because the muscles in the ovary and cloaca can not get a good grip on it to push it out. Lack of calcium and other minerals also causes weaker muscles which are unable to contract properly to expel the egg. Chronic egg laying, which is usually correctable, depletes a bird's body of calcium, leading to low blood calcium levels and the formation of soft shelled eggs. According to the Pennsylvania State University, Veterinary Science Extension, other causes of egg binding include other nutritional deficiencies, lack of exercise, being overweight and over-breeding (more than 2 clutches a year). All of these conditions are preventable. Reproductive tract infection, dysfunction and genetics can also cause egg binding. 

The symptoms of egg binding include the bird sitting on the bottom of the cage floor, rocking back and forth, sitting on her tail feathers with her legs spread apart, tail wagging or bobbing, abdominal distention, straining as if trying to lay an egg, labored breathing, lack of droppings, and ruffled feathers. The bird's legs may be affected if the egg is pressing on the nerves that control the leg muscles and the bird will not be able to perch. Her limbs may appear bluish white.This indicates a vascular problem. She may even be making soft, crying sounds. Some birds will require ex-rays or ultrasound for a diagnosis of egg binding because the egg is not externally visible 

In most cases, the condition can be successfully treated by an avian veterinarian, if caught early enough. If not, the condition is fatal. According to Pennsylvania State University VSE, "Straining for longer than 1 hour in a small bird or longer than 3 hours in a larger bird indicates a need for immediate medical intervention."The bird becomes weak, exhausted and goes into shock. The result is life threatening because shock causes the blood to stop circulating. According to a Dr. Michael Sutton DVM and Dr.Nick Woo Sam DVM ,small birds such as finches, can die within 45 minutes of being egg bound. They concur that untreated egg binding is a fatal disease. 

Egg binding requires medical treatment by a veterinarian. Home remedies usually don't work. Procedures are complicated, sometimes requiring anesthesia because of the pain involved. Your veterinarian has a number of non-surgical ways to help your bird. These include administering drug therapy, such as calcium and hormones with a catheter placed inside the bone marrow of the femur,which is a bone in the leg. This helps the muscles contract so the bird can pass the egg. You veterinarian also has special instruments to help remove the entire egg, collapse the egg, or move the delicate tissue which may be stuck to the egg and preventing it from being expelled. If these measures fail, the bird may require surgery to remove the egg. 

It's important to check your bird's health every single day, looking for signs of illness. Then you must follow through with immediate professional medical care from an avian veterinarian. If you haven't been doing this and notice that your bird is in extreme danger of dying from egg binding and part of the egg is visible, there are a few things that you can do to try and stabilize her until you get her to a vet. First,DO NOT attempt to puncture,break or pull the egg out of the your bird. You may kill her in a matter of seconds. A broken egg shell will cause even more problems, such as abdominal peritonitis, which is an acute inflammation or infection of the abdominal cavity. This condition in itself can be fatal. Pulling out an egg can cause tearing of the ovary or reproductive tract and hemorrhaging, also fatal . 

You can try to help her pass the egg if an avian vet is not available. Give her energy supplements by putting Gatorade or adding Karo Syrup or a little sugar in her water dish. You may try to reduce the stress on her heart and other organs by helping her muscles to relax. Pick her up gently so you do not damage the egg. Gently rub some mineral oil or cooking oil around the egg and on the bird's cloaca to lubricate the area. Put her in a small box, aquarium or small cage if available. Take her into the bathroom where a very hot water shower has been running. The temperature should be 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity level about 80%. You can also try putting a warm wet towel on the bottom of the cage. Be careful that you do not overheat your bird. 

The warmth and humidity may help her muscles relax enough to expel the egg. If she doesn't pass the egg within 20 minutes, get her to a veterinarian immediately. Remember small birds require immediate medical attention after 1 hour of straining, larger birds after 3 hours. Please, now that you know the facts, if you love your bird, take her to a vet at the first sign of any problems.


----------



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi Cindy,

Well, we just have pigeons and doves, but one of our hens has laid some very strange eggs - small ones, and soft shelled. 

Any problem like that, we would give extra calcium for a little while, but in the form of a liquid calcium supplement directly (ie, not in the water). 

John


----------



## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

Thank You two so much I printed the info so I can give it to my dad in the morning and when I take the feral into the vets tomorrow morning for god who know why now I will accuire some liquid calcium too. I appreciate the help. Dad adopted this one when I was told the lady whom had her for 2 weeks was looking for a new home as she found her outside and took her 3 hours to get her to come out of a 60 foot tree, she couldn't keep her so Dad took her, was hoping it was a male to avoid this problem but she isn't. 

Cindy


----------

