2.5yr old RIR laying soft eggs

[twendt]

My RIR, I suspect she's a production red, is actually pooping liquid egg material for the past few days, before that she had been laying soft eggs and eating them. She's eating and drinking OK. Will this eventually end her life? and how soon? Should I just put her down? Need some good advice please. She has access to oyster shell and is feed Nutrena Soy free layer 16%. Should I give Baytril? I read some posts about egg peritonitis that recommend giving Baytril.

 

[cleoandtheflock]

@Eggcessive @casportpony @Wyorp Rock

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My RIR, I suspect she's a production red, is actually pooping liquid egg material for the past few days, before that she had been laying soft eggs and eating them. She's eating and drinking OK. Will this eventually end her life? and how soon? Should I just put her down? Need some good advice please. She has access to oyster shell and is feed Nutrena Soy free layer 16%. Should I give Baytril? I read some posts about egg peritonitis that recommend giving Baytril.

Can you post some photos of the poop?
Is she able to expel the soft shell eggs or is the membrane breaking before they come out?

If the contents of the egg is spilling into the oviduct, that can cause infection. Some of it may travel back up the oviduct and enter into the abdomen.
Hard to know how long and if/when it will end her life - it's up to you whether you want to attempt treating her to see if she will resume laying normal eggs. A lot depends on if your chickens are pets or livestock I suppose. I go by behavior as well - if they eat/drink on their own, are relatively active, crop empties overnight, etc., then I just keep an eye on them.

An antibiotic may help with infection. Baytril is banned by the FDA for use in chickens, some do use it (or a vet may prescribe it) for the use in pet chickens. You will want to do some research on egg residues, but generally you would want to observe an egg withdrawal period of at least 30 days. You could also try another antibiotic like Amoxicillin, but consideration of whether or not you or a family member is allergic would be needed as well. I would also observe a reasonable egg withdrawal time for using that too.

 

[twendt]

It's liquid expelled with egg products, I also found a very soft egg, in the egg box (hers), with a long membrane attached. She did it again this morning but I quickly covered it up so the other chickens wouldn't eat it!! I guess that's how I discovered she was expelling egg. Yes, they are pets, I have 7 (2 RIR, 2SLW, and 3 BR pullets). I am a nurse, so I feel comfortable doing whatever I need to do to help this girl. However, I'm realistic and if I have end her suffering, I will. I'll try to get a picture out there if I'm able. Can I get my hands on Amoxicillin w/o a script? Trying to avoid a vet trip. There are few poultry vets near me. I'm located in a suburb of Milwaukee. (I'm not technically supposed to have chickens).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It's liquid expelled with egg products, I also found a very soft egg, in the egg box (hers), with a long membrane attached. She did it again this morning but I quickly covered it up so the other chickens wouldn't eat it!! I guess that's how I discovered she was expelling egg. Yes, they are pets, I have 7 (2 RIR, 2SLW, and 3 BR pullets). I am a nurse, so I feel comfortable doing whatever I need to do to help this girl. However, I'm realistic and if I have end her suffering, I will. I'll try to get a picture out there if I'm able. Can I get my hands on Amoxicillin w/o a script? Trying to avoid a vet trip. There are few poultry vets near me. I'm located in a suburb of Milwaukee. (I'm not technically supposed to have chickens).

LOL They will likely find it and eat it. Mine have always gone for the membrane if I had a hen that was expelling those, they never had "associated" this with those "normal" hard shelled eggs.
It's hard to know how this will impact her health. I've had hens that had problems with soft shelled eggs and membrane "leakage" and they lived on for over a year. Others declined within a few months - each one is different - this is why I usually take a wait and see approach - if they are not acting sick/lethargic, the I wait and watch. If they are not doing so well, then I offer supportive care which may include antibiotics to see if they rally.

You can use Fish Mox (Amoxicillin). My Tractor Supply carries it on the shelf, but if yours doesn't, then you can order it online. Dosage for a chicken is 57mg per pound of weight given orally 2 times a day for 7 days.

https://www.jefferspet.com/products/amoxicillin-250mg-jar100-fish-mox

 

[micstrachan]

Hang in there. I have some experience with this, but don’t have anything more to say than @Wyorp Rock has already said. My girl with this issue declined very rapidly, but that is not always the case.

Ok, I guess I do have one more thing to offer. If you have the means, a hormone implant to temporarily shut down her laying (since she’s a pet) may stop the problem for now. She still might need antibiotics. Keep in mind, the hormones are expensive and need to be administered again in a few months.

 

[twendt]

Thanks for the great info! She seems ok at the moment, I'll continue to monitor her.

 

[twendt]

Hang in there. I have some experience with this, but don’t have anything more to say than @Wyorp Rock has already said. My girl with this issue declined very rapidly, but that is not always the case.

Ok, I guess I do have one more thing to offer. If you have the means, a hormone implant to temporarily shut down her laying (since she’s a pet) may stop the problem for now. She still might need antibiotics. Keep in mind, the hormones are expensive and need to be administered again in a few months.

Does the vet provide hormones? Or can I obtain them w/o script? I think I might do that over the winter, my daughter has an attachment to this hen (she was one of our first baby chicks we raised).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Does the vet provide hormones? Or can I obtain them w/o script? I think I might do that over the winter, my daughter has an attachment to this hen (she was one of our first baby chicks we raised).

Implants would be provided by your vet. Sometimes they do work fairly well, do some research here on BYC and of course google too. A lot depends on what is going on with the hen. It would need to be done every few months.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/deslorelin
https://poultrykeeper.com/reproductive-system-problems/suprelorin-implant-for-chickens/

 

[twendt]

Thank You