What Happens If a Chicken Doesn't Lay Eggs?

If a chicken isn't laying eggs, it's most likely because the hen is egg-bound. Egg binding occurs when an egg is too large and gets stuck in the oviduct, according to Poultry Keeper. Egg binding is a serious condition and sometimes requires the immediate assistance of an avian veterinarian. There are also some home remedies to try to help the hen pass the egg.

  1. Manual Manipulation

    • Sometimes gentle manipulation of the bird's abdomen and a little olive oil coax the egg out. Wash your hands thoroughly first to prevent infection. Use your finger to examine inside the hen's vent to feel for the egg. Apply olive oil to the vent area. Very gently, push and rub the abdomen. Often, Poultry Keeper says, this is all it takes to get the egg out.

    Water Warming Treatments

    • Heat sometimes helps the hen pass the egg. Prepare a bowl of steaming water. Place the bird's vent over the bowl and cover with a clean towel to hold in the warm air. Be careful not to get the bird too close to the water to prevent scalding. Hold the bird over the steaming water for 15 minutes. Another way to warm the area is to submerge the bottom half of hen's body in warm water for 15 minutes. Repeat either process at regular intervals. After several warming treatments, again try manual manipulation to push the egg out.

    Incubator Warming

    • If you have an incubator, set the temperature at 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If the incubator has humidity controls, set them to high. If not, place wet towels in the incubator to create humidity. Open incubator air holes and make sure the bird has fresh airflow. Place the hen in the incubator for several hours, monitoring the bird regularly.

    Egg Aspiration

    • If you feel the tip of the egg through the vent, you may be able to aspirate the contents, and then collapse and remove it. Use an 18-gauge needle and syringe to aspirate the contents of the egg. Then, gently collapse the egg, leaving the inner membrane intact so the shell doesn't break. Gently pull out the broken egg. If parts of the shell remain inside the bird, they are likely to pass within the next several days. If the egg is not accessible for aspiration, or other methods of treatment don't work, the binding is severe. Immediately take the hen to an avian veterinarian. Sometimes eggs need to be surgically removed to save the hen's life.