THE REALITIES ABOUT POULTRY The Modern Farm - The Realities About Poultry_Seco | Page 112

course is to prevent poultry from places where pesticides are used. Drift of pesticides to poultry
must also be avoided.
Disorders of the Egg Tract
During peak production, a hen can lay one egg every 23-26 hours. To make an egg, the yolk is shed
into the oviduct; then, as the yolk travels down, the other parts are added. When the shell is
complete, the egg is laid.
Ω
Egg-bound: A hen is described as egg-bound when an egg lodges in its oviduct and it cannot
expel it. This can be caused either by a larger than normal egg, or when the muscles used in
laying eggs are weak. The egg can be removed by inserting a lubricated finger into the cloaca and
using the other hand to squeeze the egg out. If this fails, the egg should be broken with a sharp
object and all the pieces of the shell removed.
Holding the bird over a pan of hot water may relax the muscles of the oviduct and facilitate the
removal of the egg.
After the egg is removed, the bird should be allowed to recover in a separate coop to prevent
other birds from pecking the cloaca. This can be done only in a small flock. In a large flock, an
egg-bound bird should be culled.
Ω
Prolapse: When a hen lays an egg, the lower part of the oviduct is momentarily averted through
the cloaca. Normally, the hen can retract the oviduct after laying. Prolapse occurs when the hen
cannot retract the oviduct and a part of it remains outside the body.
This condition is most common in overweight, older hens and in early laying pullets of low body
weight. Other birds will peck at the red protrusion and cannibalism usually follows. It is unlikely
that a bird with prolapse will recover and it should be destroyed.
Ω
Egg peritonitis: The egg yolk provides a good medium for bacterial growth and may
sometimes become infected while it is still inside the bird. Infection may occur while the yolk is
moving down the egg tract or when a yolk fails to enter the oviduct and is shed into the body
cavity.
Prolific layers may die without warning, or may gradually become ill when affected by egg
peritonitis. There is no viable commercial treatment for this disorder. However, valuable birds
may be treated with antibiotics if the disease is diagnosed early.
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