Bullying, Egg-Eating, and Depression?

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

@hysop @slordaz @Brahma Chicken5000 @Wyorp Rock @sorce @Chickassan @sunrise.superman

Okay so... plot twist. I need all hands on deck. All this time I was worrying about Darla but it was our smaller EE, "Faith," that may have been laying in the run (sorry for singling you out Darla).

Anyway, this evening I noticed Faith was very still and disinterested in eating (VERY unlike her--her MO is to storm me and jump on my arm every time I enter). She was sit-standing in the corner and I noticed her past a little puddle of clear, viscous fluid. She then just sat there with her eyes closed. I picked her up to bring her inside, realizing she was sick, and as I walked across the lawn she made a weird noise (almost like choking) and then a soft-shelled egg fell out of her. It looked cracked, and I could't tell if that had happened inside her or when it hit the ground. I feel horrible if this was my fault.

When I got her in, she passed more egg white looking fluid. I walked away a little, came back, and another soft-shell egg had passed (which she was eating). I noticed she was still leaking fluid with a little poop, so I'm pretty certain these eggs were leaking inside of her.

She's not very interested in food at this point (only drinking) and very slow. That said, she summoned the energy to FREAK OUT in the dog crate she's in... enough so I eventually took her back out to roost with the others for the night, which she is doing.

Should I take her to the vet first thing tomorrow? I'm worried about egg peritonitis. She was vibrant all day until the egg fiasco this evening. Faith is my special girl, we have bonded from the start, and I will do whatever I can for her.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

@Texas Kiki @azygous @Eggcessive can you help?

 

[Chickassan]

If you can take her to be checked it probably isnt a bad idea to do so just to see if anything has gone wrong.

 

[slordaz]

@hysop @slordaz @Brahma Chicken5000 @Wyorp Rock @sorce @Chickassan @sunrise.superman

Okay so... plot twist. I need all hands on deck. All this time I was worrying about Darla but it was our smaller EE, "Faith," that may have been laying in the run (sorry for singling you out Darla).

Anyway, this evening I noticed Faith was very still and disinterested in eating (VERY unlike her--her MO is to storm me and jump on my arm every time I enter). She was sit-standing in the corner and I noticed her past a little puddle of clear, viscous fluid. She then just sat there with her eyes closed. I picked her up to bring her inside, realizing she was sick, and as I walked across the lawn she made a weird noise (almost like choking) and then a soft-shelled egg fell out of her. It looked cracked, and I could't tell if that had happened inside her or when it hit the ground. I feel horrible if this was my fault.

When I got her in, she passed more egg white looking fluid. I walked away a little, came back, and another soft-shell egg had passed (which she was eating). I noticed she was still leaking fluid with a little poop, so I'm pretty certain these eggs were leaking inside of her.

She's not very interested in food at this point (only drinking) and very slow. That said, she summoned the energy to FREAK OUT in the dog crate she's in... enough so I eventually took her back out to roost with the others for the night, which she is doing.

Should I take her to the vet first thing tomorrow? I'm worried about egg peritonitis. She was vibrant all day until the egg fiasco this evening. Faith is my special girl, we have bonded from the start, and I will do whatever I can for her.

That don't sound good, she may have reproductive issue, and most likely an infection, you can try a soak in Warm water with Epsom salt for 10-15 minutes until the more experienced get here to help with suggestions

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I want to clarify--no yolk came out of her, just egg white (the yolk was in the egg that was passed, but it looks like some of the white leaked). Both shells were very soft and seem to have come out broken but not missing pieces. Not sure if that makes any difference.

I'll probably take her in. This means canceling work, which isn't ideal. But I'm scared to wait until Saturday.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

She's sleeping on a roost with the others, now. Might try tomorrow. I have a 10:30a vet appointment.

She was drinking last I saw her, before roosting. Not super interested in food, though her crop wasn't empty at least. I'm hoping she was just out of sorts from the back-to-back soft shell passing (and they could have been her first eggs or at least her some of her first few--she only started laying this week). Maybe this is her ironing out the kinks in the laying process, but with the egg whites having leaked I'm worried about an infection getting started.

That don't sound good, she may have reproductive issue, and most likely an infection, you can try a soak in Warm water with Epsom salt for 10-15 minutes until the more experienced get here to help with suggestions

 

[slordaz]

I keep some Liquimiacin LA-200 on hand as it's a broad spectrum antibiotic, and you can usually get powdered penicillin at the local farm store but just not sure on what to advise on this, have never seen it, the good thing is she went up to roost

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

I keep some Liquimiacin LA-200 on hand as it's a broad spectrum antibiotic, and you can usually get powdered penicillin at the local farm store but just not sure on what to advise on this, have never seen it, the good thing is she went up to roost

We have doxycycline but I don't think it's right for this. I hear Baytril is often used for this. I guess I'll let the vet decide, though it sounds like a good idea to stock up on liquimiacin for the future.

 

[azygous]

When I have this happen in my flock, I immediately start the hen on an antibiotic - penicillin or amoxicillin 250mg. Then I give a calcium tablet each day to help her clear out any remaining egg material. If no yolk leaked inside her, that's a huge blessing!

These double eggs in a cycle cause untold harm, but if caught early, there's every reason to expect a full recovery.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

W

When I have this happen in my flock, I immediately start the hen on an antibiotic - penicillin or amoxicillin 250mg. Then I give a calcium tablet each day to help her clear out any remaining egg material. If no yolk leaked inside her, that's a huge blessing!

These double eggs in a cycle cause untold harm, but if caught early, there's every reason to expect a full recovery.

Where can you get those antibiotics? I only have docycycline which I hear binds to calcium (so it's very bad for this particular issue).