Araucana hen has a big problem with eggs and I feel like she may die soon if I can’t do anything!

[Sagey_7878]

Hello Everybody! My name is Sage and I am from Australia (please forgive me if I make spelling errors it is 11PM at night) My Araucana hen who is about 3-5 years old has been recently laying eggs with a brittle shell, even though grit is available. Since about 7PM this evening, she has been in the nest boxes trying to pass this stuff which I have included in the picture. I think it’s some egg she’s trying to pass through her clococa, but I see no shell (which is good) She is still trying to pass it i’m pretty sure and it is 11PM. Any help is appreciated!

 

[SueT]

Grit is not a source of calcium, you need to feed oyster shell. Is she getting layer feed?
It is not unusual to have an occasional soft egg especially in new layers. And they are hard to pass. Get some oyster shell, offer it free choice, and hopefully she will get back to normal laying--- Good luck!

 

[Eggcessive]

It would be good to give her a human calcium tablet crushed into some cooked egg or yogurt, or give it whole in the back of her throat. Feel inside her vent with one finger to check if there is any egg membrane or shell stuck inside. A warm soak may relax her enough to pass any further egg material. Here is a thead that is very similar to yours, and may have good information—start with post 85 on page 9:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-huge-emergency.1284597/page-9

 

[Sagey_7878]

Grit is not a source of calcium, you need to feed oyster shell. Is she getting layer feed?
It is not unusual to have an occasional soft egg especially in new layers. And they are hard to pass. Get some oyster shell, offer it free choice, and hopefully she will get back to normal laying--- Good luck!

As I said, she’s 3-5 years old so she’s been laying for a while now and is on layer feed.

 

[Sagey_7878]

It would be good to give her a human calcium tablet crushed into some cooked egg or yogurt, or give it whole in the back of her throat. Feel inside her vent with one finger to check if there is any egg membrane or shell stuck inside. A warm soak may relax her enough to pass any further egg material. Here is a thead that is very similar to yours, and may have good information—start with post 85 on page 9:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-huge-emergency.1284597/page-9

Thank you so much!

 

[Sagey_7878]

It is now morning and she has passed this during the night. You can see the shell membrane, yolk and egg shell.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try to get antibiotics from a vet to treat her to try and prevent infection in her oviduct from the egg that broke inside. Baytril or enrofloxacin would be a good one, and some use amoxillin or clavamox. Continue to give her calcium for a total of 3 days.

Layer feed is good, and a separate bowl of crushed oyster shell should be available for extra calcium in the diet. Even at that some hens may have problems with calcium absorption or they may have a shell gland problem.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a good link that explains egg binding, impacted oviduct, internal layer, egg yolk peritonitis, and other reproductive disorders in chickens—just click on each article listed to read:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...tem/egg-bound-or-impacted-oviducts-in-poultry