Anything i should do for a hen who expelled watery yolk and then broken soft egg?

[Wilderre]

My Barred Rock girls are 17 weeks old, eating 17% layer crumbles but no oyster shell because I thought they are still too young and wouldn't lay until about Christmas. Anyway, last night, I thought one had diarrhea but it was more yellow than most online pics. When I went back a bit later, there was a small soft shelled egg - intact but with a small opening and still containing liquid. This all happened in the dark when all were roosting. She acted okay after but was doing some extra preening. I want to try avoid egg related health issues if possible. Any thoughts?

 

[DobieLover]

My Barred Rock girls are 17 weeks old, eating 17% layer crumbles but no oyster shell because I thought they are still too young and wouldn't lay until about Christmas. Anyway, last night, I thought one had diarrhea but it was more yellow than most online pics. When I went back a bit later, there was a small soft shelled egg - intact but with a small opening and still containing liquid. This all happened in the dark when all were roosting. She acted okay after but was doing some extra preening. I want to try avoid egg related health issues if possible. Any thoughts?

I'd give her a 7 day course of antibiotics to ward off infection from residual yolk inside her reproductive tract. I used 250mg amoxicillin 2x daily for a week for a pullet that this happened to and she never got sick.

Put out the oyster shells. It's never too early to put them out because after the initial eating of the novel new thing that showed up, they will primarily only eat them as required.

 

[Wilderre]

Is amoxicillin available OTC in Ohio? For cats, it always comes from the vet.

Also wishing I had a marking system because they look almost identical, and I'm not positive which one it was.

 

[DobieLover]

Is amoxicillin available OTC in Ohio? For cats, it always comes from the vet.

Also wishing I had a marking system because they look almost identical, and I'm not positive which one it was.

I get amoxicillin as Fishmox or Aqua-mox from any number of online pet supply companies.

Not knowing which bird it was is an issue.
You can buy bird leg bands for use in the future. When you spot a bird that has an issue, pull her off the roost at night, treat her however you need to then put the band on her leg. You can either leave it in place or take it off when treatment is over.

 

[Wilderre]

Thanks much! I will keep watch and order some bands

 

[Wilderre]

Thanks much! I will keep watch and order some bands

Think I know which one

 

[Wilderre]

And I used a little blukote to mark her

 

[jxp]

I know I'm a little late to the thread but here's an idea for marking if the need should arise in the future.

When my Great Pyrenees, Elly, had 10 pups a couple years ago, by the time they were old enough to go for their first well puppy check and round of shots, they'd wrestled and chewed the colored collars off each other. So, in order to keep track of which squirming white ball of fluffy energy was weighed and which were jabbed, the vet and her assistants used nail polish.
red/boy/left/finger 1
pink/girl/left/finger 3
etc.
Semi permanent and not harmful. Hope this helps someone looking for an ID solution in a similar situation.

By-the-by, hope your hen is all better now and no more issues.

 

[Wilderre]

I know I'm a little late to the thread but here's an idea for marking if the need should arise in the future.

When my Great Pyrenees, Elly, had 10 pups a couple years ago, by the time they were old enough to go for their first well puppy check and round of shots, they'd wrestled and chewed the colored collars off each other. So, in order to keep track of which squirming white ball of fluffy energy was weighed and which were jabbed, the vet and her assistants used nail polish.
red/boy/left/finger 1
pink/girl/left/finger 3
etc.
Semi permanent and not harmful. Hope this helps someone looking for an ID solution in a similar situation.

By-the-by, hope your hen is all better now and no more issues.

Thanks much for this idea!