Chicken Acting Strange

[tmdroc]

Hello, I have been checking this site out since I bought chcikens. I have a backyard flock of 7 chickens ranging in age from 15 weeks to 18 weeks. I had a chicken lay an egg with no shell or membrane yesterday. Looked like an egg you put in a frying pan to cook over easy. At any rate one of my 18 week old RIR's started acting funny yesyerday. Lathergic, laying down in the yard, did not get in the roost last night, just layed on the floor. I'm thinking that it is strange that there was no membrane around the egg layed yesterday and I believe it was this hen. In the area where I found the egg there were not any shells. I gave her a warm water bath but the symptoms are still continuing. She is eating and drinking water but is not acting normal. Any insight/suggestions from the experts on this board?

 

[Judy]

This is one of the things that sometimes go wrong when they are just getting started with laying. It is harder for them to push out a shell-less egg than a hard one; nothing to push against. You can try treating her as eggbound: soak her in a basin of warm water, put her in a darkened place for a day or two to encourage relaxation, squirt a little Preparation H up her vent, even put a gloved finger up there a little ways and perhaps break it if the shell is soft enough not to cut her. There are threads linked from the FAQ page, and many others, on here about eggbound hens.

Is she on layer feed, with its extra calcium for hard eggshells? Many offer oyster shell routinely, on the side, for a hen who may feel she needs extra calcium. You can also give a calcium boost by putting a Tums in their water, but don't do this every day. And if you give treats or kitchen scraps, limit the amount -- it's usually recommended no more than 10% of their diet. Actually, if you do this, you might just stop entirely for a while.

Good luck!

 

[tmdroc]

Thanks, I will try your suggestions. Yes, they are getting layer food. I did try with a gloved finger and did not feel anything. When I feel her stomach there does appear to be an egg in there.

 

[tmdroc]

Also I did read the FAQ's on egg bound chickens and searched under eggs without a shell but didn't find anything similar to my situation. She was still not acting right when she went to bed tonight. If she is still acting funny tomorrow I will try the warm bath again.

 

[tmdroc]

Just a quick update. The chicken is acting normal again. I believe that she laid a huge egg yesterday. Not sure if it was her but she seems to be fine. Thanks for the advise!