2.5 year old Bantam laying unusual eggs (tiny yolk-less eggs and/or soft shelled eggs)

[Blessedwithhens]

I have a bantam hen who is 2.5 years old. This April she started laying a lot of tiny yolk-less fairy eggs and no “normal eggs”, she then started laying soft shelled eggs occasionally in June, no “normal” eggs. So I started giving her calcium (1/16 tab of ground up sundown naturals brand calcium carbonate on plain Greek yogurt) she then started laying yolk-less fairy eggs again, so I stopped the calcium for a week, which leads to today- there was a yolk-less fairy egg under her roost this morning and then today (same day) she seemed egg bound so I gave her an epsom salt bath and then she really pushed and pushed til she laid a soft shelled egg about 1.5x the size of her regular egg. The fairy eggs don’t have yolks. The soft eggs do.

It’s been 100+ degrees here for the past 2 months- the 5 hens go out in the large yard (at least 500 square feet) all day, have access to cool fresh water dishes, organic layer pellets, non gmo flock maintainer pellets (because I have one retired hen w/hormone implant) and oyster shells, sea shells, and their crushed egg shells. I supplement electrolytes and probiotics for about 6 hours a day in the water. They have shade and misters. They have 2 nesting areas for 5 hens.

They are pretty spoiled and get to come inside to sleep in 78-80 degree AC at night to give them relief from the heat.. but not too cold of AC so the stay acclimated. She is a 1.5 lb bantam and has a 2 square foot cage all to herself to sleep in at night (stacked on her sister’s cages)


What do you think is going on with my hen? What should I do? (Also what do you think of the calcium and how’s my dosing on the calcium?)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How many mg are in a whole tablet of your Calcium Citrate?

What do you feed, including treats?

Sometimes no matter what you feed or what supplements you give, hens can still have production issues.

Any lice/mites? Have you dewormed?

 

[Blessedwithhens]

How many mg are in a whole tablet of your Calcium Citrate?

What do you feed, including treats?

Sometimes no matter what you feed or what supplements you give, hens can still have production issues.

Any lice/mites? Have you dewormed?

Not calcium citrate but Calcium Carbonate. It’s 600mg. Is carbonate ok?

Natures best Organic Layer feed pellets from TS and KALBACH non gmo flock maintainer described above for retired hen

Occasional mealworm, not daily, less than 5 percent of diet. Some organic frozen fruit if really hot- less than 5 percent of diet treats total.

No lice or mites that I can find. Tested for worms twice thru vet and lab

I just called a vet. She said she would treat for oviduct infection, likely with Clavamox. I did not take my hen in based on gut instinct and tuning in with my hen- I got a clear DONT take her in (this may not resonate with everyone)… but anyway, I have 4 (not expired) Clavamox 250mg tabs on hand. She is 1.5 lbs. if my calculations are correct, she should take 1/3 tab, 2x/day? I have 6 days worth at that rate/dose.

Any input from everyone would be GREATLY appreciated!

I wish I knew how to tag people on here

 

[Eggcessive]

Amoxicillin dosage is around 50 mg per pound given twice a day for 10 days. So I would give 1/2 tablet twice a day. I prefer the amoxicillin to Clavamox for chickens who don’t have so many problems with antibiotic resistance, so when you run out, you might get Aqua Mox here:
https://www.allivet.com/product/aqua-mox-amoxicillin/52208.html?sku=52208-1

Calcium carbonate is okay, but the calcium citrate is more quickly absorbed and is probably a bit better. I would give 1/3 of a tablet once a day for a few days. Wyorp Rock may have a different opinion, though, and I would follow her recommendations.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Amoxicillin dosage is around 50 mg per pound given twice a day for 10 days. So I would give 1/2 tablet twice a day. I prefer the amoxicillin to Clavamox for chickens who don’t have so many problems with antibiotic resistance, so when you run out, you might get Aqua Mox here:
https://www.allivet.com/product/aqua-mox-amoxicillin/52208.html?sku=52208-1

Calcium carbonate is okay, but the calcium citrate is more quickly absorbed and is probably a bit better. I would give 1/3 of a tablet once a day for a few days. Wyorp Rock may have a different opinion, though, and I would follow her recommendations.

Good advice!

 

[Blessedwithhens]

Thank you both!

 

[Blessedwithhens]

I bought the aqua mox. I started the clavamox this morning, but should I switch once the aqua mox arrives? Also, should I continue with the calcium carbonate while she’s on clavamox?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I bought the aqua mox. I started the clavamox this morning, but should I switch once the aqua mox arrives? Also, should I continue with the calcium carbonate while she’s on clavamox?

You can switch the the AquaMox when you get it.
I'd still give the Calcium, just space it about 2hrs before/after giving the antibiotics.

 

[Blessedwithhens]

Wow! After 3 doses of clavamox and continued calcium carbonate she laid a perfect egg today! Since she’s on antibiotics I cooked it and fed it back to her. But seriously could the clavamox have helped already?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Wow! After 3 doses of clavamox and continued calcium carbonate she laid a perfect egg today! Since she’s on antibiotics I cooked it and fed it back to her. But seriously could the clavamox have helped already?

Possible the antibiotic is helping already.
Hens with Salpingitis can sometimes still lay normal eggs too.