EE Soft shell eggs and too skinny

[Stephh0701]

For the last 2 weeks my favorite EE hen has been laying eggs without the shell and has been getting skinnier. She acts fine and I see her eat when I throw treats and snacks out and I've seen her at the oyster shell container and their food bin eating on both. I'm not sure what else to do. She doesn't seem to be picked on... not sure what else it could be. Any ideas what else I could try?

 

[Chicken poppy]

For the last 2 weeks my favorite EE hen has been laying eggs without the shell and has been getting skinnier. She acts fine and I see her eat when I throw treats and snacks out and I've seen her at the oyster shell container and their food bin eating on both. I'm not sure what else to do. She doesn't seem to be picked on... not sure what else it could be. Any ideas what else I could try?

Could she have worms? From the sounds of it, it looks like she may have them, check her stool and egg production, look inside the eggs. Is there anything funky in there? wish the best for your baby!

 

[Stephh0701]

It never even crossed my mind that worms were a possibility! I'll have to check. I can't check her eggs because she's dropping them at night below her roost and then eating them before we even wake up . I'll have to check her stool. If she does have them what are the chances the rest of the flock isn't infected

 

[Chicken poppy]

It never even crossed my mind that worms were a possibility! I'll have to check. I can't check her eggs because she's dropping them at night below her roost and then eating them before we even wake up . I'll have to check her stool. If she does have them what are the chances the rest of the flock isn't infected

The chances are probably good, it seems like you caught it (if it is) early enough. If you cant find her eggs, check her stool, or maybe put a little sack underneath so it drops in there and doesnt crack or anything.

 

[Stephh0701]

So I did see little tiny worms in her stool. I went ahead and let our local vet know and he recommended doing a culture and prescription but was going to charge over $200. I told him I can't afford $200 and is there anything else I could do for her besides trying natural treatments and he said technically he isn't supposed to recommend this but ivermectin covers most worms and gave me site that covered dosage. I went ahead and ordered the ivermectin and gave her a dose and have to repeat in 2 weeks (I think that's what it said) to make sure any eggs that hatch between then and now are killed off. Will update if anything new comes up but I'm hoping this will be it. So far I haven't seen any worms in the other chickens stool but I keep looking just to be proactive. I'm reading that most chickens get worms but if they're free range (mine are) they're usually able to rid themselves of them on their own unless their system is taxed.

 

[Swbertrand1]

So I did see little tiny worms in her stool. I went ahead and let our local vet know and he recommended doing a culture and prescription but was going to charge over $200. I told him I can't afford $200 and is there anything else I could do for her besides trying natural treatments and he said technically he isn't supposed to recommend this but ivermectin covers most worms and gave me site that covered dosage. I went ahead and ordered the ivermectin and gave her a dose and have to repeat in 2 weeks (I think that's what it said) to make sure any eggs that hatch between then and now are killed off. Will update if anything new comes up but I'm hoping this will be it. So far I haven't seen any worms in the other chickens stool but I keep looking just to be proactive. I'm reading that most chickens get worms but if they're free range (mine are) they're usually able to rid themselves of them on their own unless their system is taxed.

Get some photos of the worms up here ASAP to identify the type of worms you're dealing with (sounds like they might be capillary worms, but need to see the photos), and save your $200 at the vet. Ivermectin is not used as often as the two products below, though there are still folks that use it.

If I were you, I'd order Safeguard (Fenbendazole) shown in the photo below. It might not hurt to order/have on hand Valbazen (Albendazole) too.

Dosage for Safeguard product is .23ml per pound of body weight given for 5 days.
Here's more on dosage from Wyorp Rock; see post #2:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/safeguard-dosage.1437427/

 

[Swbertrand1]

I know you've verified worms visually in the stool, but also do a full physical check of the bird's skin, paying close attention to the vent area, legs/feet, under the wings near where they meet the body, and around the neck/mouth area. The vent is the #1 spot you'll find mites, and they're small but will be moving. Report back what you find.

 

[Eggcessive]

For the last 2 weeks my favorite EE hen has been laying eggs without the shell and has been getting skinnier. She acts fine and I see her eat when I throw treats and snacks out and I've seen her at the oyster shell container and their food bin eating on both. I'm not sure what else to do. She doesn't seem to be picked on... not sure what else it could be. Any ideas what else I could try?

Shell-less eggs can be common in new layers for a bit, but it can also be a sign of a reproductive disorder. Does she eat layer feed as well as having the crushed oyster shell available? Worms don’t cause shell-less eggs as far as I know. But an injury or something wrong with her shell gland could.

Be sure to get a photo of the stool and look at her vent, just in case you are seeing maggots or something else.

 

[Stephh0701]

She's not at all a new layer... I think she's been laying close to a year... if my memory serves me well. The worms were definitely not maggots. I was able to watch her defecate and immediately check it. I haven't seen any worms since dosing her with the ivermectin. I will check her vent area and legs and skin this afternoon. She eats organic layer feed with free choice oryster and free ranges. Still laying very thin and no shell eggs though. I feel bad that I'm not able to pinpoint exactly what's going on with her.

 

[Stephh0701]

Here's a close up of her stool.