When you breed birds, you must always check the health of your hens both morning and night. When a hen is visually egg bound it usually means she is at least 24 hours over due in laying her egg. At this stage you must not ignore the situation as a hen can die very quickly from this condition.
Most times when a hen is egg bound she will leave her nest and any eggs she is sitting. She will come out of the breeding box and either sit fluffed up on the perch or on the floor of the cage. When you notice this it is time to act. There are a few courses of action that you can take.
First of all, try to give the hen a drink. If you add a little sugar into hot water until it dissolves, then top it up with a small amount of cold water until it is cold enough to drink. Then try to get the hen to drink. I have achieved this be gently tapping the beak of the hen with the bottom of a drinker. The hen will usually take a drink. If she will not then you will have to use a crop needle or dosing tube if either is available. The sugar in the water will give the hen energy and will hopefully help her to pass the egg.
Calcium is also thought to help. This can be purchased in liquid for from a chemist and placed into the drinking water, following the method above or direct from a vet by way of injection.
If you find that you have a hen that is egg bound, take her away from the breeding cage. When you handle her, great care must be taken. At this stage she can quite easily rupture herself and this means almost certain death usually within seconds. Try not to grab her or hold her to tight. A hen is usually exhausted at this stage and most will not put up much resistance. After offering her a drink, place her in a cage or place that is warm. A lot of the breeders recommend a hospital cage but this is sometimes not possible. I have used a shoebox with mesh over the top for a lid and a little wood shavings in the bottom. I have placed it next to a radiator and the heat has helped the hen relax and she has laid the egg. A drinker can easily be fixed onto the side of the box simply by threading string through the side of the box and tying it.
One method that is used by many breeders is to dip a small artists brush into olive oil and to put a small amount around the vent area. This sometimes helps the hen pass the egg
Fill a bowl with hot water. Then hold the hen about 6" above the water so that the steam rises onto the area around the vent of the bird. This helps to relax the hens muscles, making it possible for her to lay the egg. Care should be taken and the water should not be to hot.
Place the hen in a heated hospital cage. This may well help her to lay the egg.
These are just a few methods that I have found to be successful. They may or may not be for you. If you think that the method you try is not going to work, then take the bird to a vet. He may be able to help.
If you are successfull and the hen lays her egg then she should be rested from breeding for a few months until she is fully recovered.
If at the start of this page, you hen has left a nest with eggs that have now gone cold. Don't give up on these eggs. Foster them out even though they are cold. You will be surprised at how many do hatch. Just give them an extra day or so before giving up on them.