*Buff Orpington Thread!*

[henmania]

I'm still learning to navigate! Thanks for the welcome back! Lovely girls

Yep it's quite hard for me to get around it. Specially when using phone.

 

[MichelleT]

Here's the latest of our not-Buff-Orp. Still too early to tell whether she's a CQ or HHR probably.

 

[MichelleT]

Here's the latest of our not-Buff-Orp. Still too early to tell whether she's a CQ or HHR probably.

And now the photo

 

[henmania]

Can anyone advise on this problem?

I have a BO who's been laying soft shell eggs for a long while but has been laying regularly. Today she went into the nest box around 6PM or so and was clicking very loudly. I went out and came back now 10:30PM and saw she was still in there and no egg. I think she might be egg bound or worse, the egg broke inside. I felt under the vent and it's very soft and feels like liquid inside. I took her out and places her where she usually sleeps but didn't move and just sat there.
It did look like she was brooding but she was broody a month or so ago and I broke her from in.

Any advise on what to do? How would I know if she has had her egg break inside?

Edit:

This is her after I brought her out of the nesting box. Hasn't moved since.
Also, she was quite normal before it.

 

[ed-209]

Pullet or Cockrell? 8 week old buff orphington.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can anyone advise on this problem?

I have a BO who's been laying soft shell eggs for a long while but has been laying regularly. Today she went into the nest box around 6PM or so and was clicking very loudly. I went out and came back now 10:30PM and saw she was still in there and no egg. I think she might be egg bound or worse, the egg broke inside. I felt under the vent and it's very soft and feels like liquid inside. I took her out and places her where she usually sleeps but didn't move and just sat there.
It did look like she was brooding but she was broody a month or so ago and I broke her from in.

Any advise on what to do? How would I know if she has had her egg break inside?

@henmania Offer her some poultry vitamins and extra calcium (crush a Tums, sprinkle over a treat like chopped egg, if you have liquid calcium that would be good (1cc), or you can use 1/2 tab calcium carbonate (like Caltrate).

If she is able to poop she is not what would be called "egg bound". You can still give her a soaking in a warm epsom salts bath to see if that helps move things along. If she had an egg break, you would probably see whites or yolks where she was. Since she has been laying soft shell eggs, she may have part of the soft shell left inside her. I've found that after giving the calcium (which helps promote contractions) and direct dosing with something like Nutri-Drench they will most of the time expel what's in there.

If after soaking and giving supportive care she doesn't perk up or expel any egg matter, etc. let her rest for a while. Give her another soak, then gently feel inside the vent with a lubricated finger about 1" to see if you feel anything - sometimes this will make them poo then expel anything.

Keep us posted.

Edit:
View attachment 554050 View attachment 554051
This is her after I brought her out of the nesting box. Hasn't moved since.
Also, she was quite normal before it.

Pullet or Cockrell? 8 week old buff orphington.

Hi @ed-209 Hopefully others will weigh in, but I call cockerel.

 

[henmania]

Hi @ed-209 Hopefully others will weigh in, but I call cockerel.

Hi wyorp. Thanks. Il have to run to the store to buy those. I was hoping she would've just gone broody again (apparently that's possible).

Thanks for the advise. I'll keep you posted

 

[Little Coop on Salt Creek]

Today, I noticed our BO (who we think is a girl) have some dark patches on her tail feathers. Is this normal BO coloring?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

View attachment 554392 View attachment 554394 View attachment 554395 Today, I noticed our BO (who we think is a girl) have some dark patches on her tail feathers. Is this normal BO coloring?

They can have some black or brown spots on the feathers - I believe it's called "smutting" or "smudging". Generally it's seen in hatchery birds. My BO's have it.

 

[Little Coop on Salt Creek]

They can have some black or brown spots on the feathers - I believe it's called "smutting" or "smudging". Generally it's seen in hatchery birds. My BO's have it.

Thank you! Good info to know. All of our BO's came from a hatchery.