EGG-BOUND 183 



of the heart, and the extra strain was too severe 

 upon these muscles. 



Overfat hens are apt to lay double yolk eggs, 

 which adds to strain and difficulty in passage. At 

 times eggs may get broken while passing through 

 the oviduct and will obstruct the passage of the other 

 eggs. Pullets may become egg-bound for a few days 

 in endeavoring to pass their first eggs, but such 

 cases generally will adjust themselves within a few 

 days and need no treatment. 



An egg-bound condition may result in inflamma- 

 tion of the egg passage, which is quite a serious 

 disease. The hen thus affected has a constant de- 

 sire to strain, and this strain is at times so violent 

 as to cause the breaking of a blood vessel and re- 

 sult in the bird's sudden death. 



If the poultryman would watch his flock closely 

 there is little danger of inflammation of the egg 

 passage. When a hen is detected moving about 

 slowly, going often in the nest without dropping 

 an egg, and the tail feathers are seen to be lowered, 

 take her in hand, watch the movements of the mus- 

 cles at the vent, and you will notice her efforts to 

 eject an egg. Oil your finger and pass it into the 

 passage ; you will readily detect the muscular move- 

 ments and in most cases touch the egg. 



One of the simple treatments which has proven 

 effective is to hold the hen with her vent over a 

 steaming dish of boiling water. Should this not 



