Egg Bound...again

[MeredithLindsay]

So I’ve got an Isa that’s egg bound I’m fairly certain. She’s waddling, hiding behind bushes, wings kind of out and raised. But here’s the thing - this is the THIRD TIME since early April. The first time I soaked her butt and tried to feel for an egg, felt nothing, isolated her overnight and in the morning she was alert and chipper as can be with TWO soft shell eggs in the pen. So she had two eggs stuck. OUCH. That was about 5 weeks ago. Two days ago, same behavior. Hiding behind bushes, waddling, closing eyes. I soaked her fluffy bum, put her in isolation, a few hours later not one but TWO soft shell eggs in the pen and she’s feeling grand. Today, only two days later SAME THING. I see the stuck egg behavior. I’m kind of tired of soaking chicken bum so I just put her in isolation with the bath and without sticking my finger up her bum since I obviously can’t recognize an egg when I feel one blind. What gives?! Why is this girl having such a struggle lately? Prior to the first stuck egg incident she’d been laying the occasional (once every 10 days give or take) soft shell egg. She doesn’t show signs of a cold or other sickness. No sign of worms. Eats organic farm made layer feed from a local farm. I give egg shell back to her regularly, every few days.
I’m out of ideas and kind of frustrated. Has anyone been in this situation? Anything else I can do? She is 8 months old.

 

[cherrynberry]

So I’ve got an Isa that’s egg bound I’m fairly certain. She’s waddling, hiding behind bushes, wings kind of out and raised. But here’s the thing - this is the THIRD TIME since early April. The first time I soaked her butt and tried to feel for an egg, felt nothing, isolated her overnight and in the morning she was alert and chipper as can be with TWO soft shell eggs in the pen. So she had two eggs stuck. OUCH. That was about 5 weeks ago. Two days ago, same behavior. Hiding behind bushes, waddling, closing eyes. I soaked her fluffy bum, put her in isolation, a few hours later not one but TWO soft shell eggs in the pen and she’s feeling grand. Today, only two days later SAME THING. I see the stuck egg behavior. I’m kind of tired of soaking chicken bum so I just put her in isolation with the bath and without sticking my finger up her bum since I obviously can’t recognize an egg when I feel one blind. What gives?! Why is this girl having such a struggle lately? Prior to the first stuck egg incident she’d been laying the occasional (once every 10 days give or take) soft shell egg. She doesn’t show signs of a cold or other sickness. No sign of worms. Eats organic farm made layer feed from a local farm. I give egg shell back to her regularly, every few days.
I’m out of ideas and kind of frustrated. Has anyone been in this situation? Anything else I can do? She is 8 months old.

Provide oyster shells at ALL times! It seems that she is not getting enough calcium from her feed....it can lead to getting egg bound

 

[50-45-1]

I Second the oyster shell
I offer my flock oyster shell in it's own feeder 24/7/365
Its cheep, lasts a long time and chicken will only eat what they need
Some hens just need more
I hope your hen recovers

 

[aart]

Could be a calcium deficiency, either not enough in diet or she can't process it properly.
Softies are hard to move down the pike as there's no hard surface for the contractions to work against.

How long has she been laying and did she lay 'good' egg prior to the 3 events?

What all and how exactly are you feeding?
Do you have other chickens maybe of same age and breed, any others having troubles?

 

[MeredithLindsay]

Could be a calcium deficiency, either not enough in diet or she can't process it properly.
Softies are hard to move down the pike as there's no hard surface for the contractions to work against.

How long has she been laying and did she lay 'good' egg prior to the 3 events?

What all and how exactly are you feeding?
Do you have other chickens maybe of same age and breed, any others having troubles?

She lays good eggs in between soft ones. I have three other same breed born together and none of the others have the problem. I feed an organic farm made layer pellet. It’s seeds etc.

 

[aart]

I feed an organic farm made layer pellet. It’s seeds etc.

Many have found is best to wet or ferment the cracked grain feeds,
that way the fines(vitamins, minerals, amino acids) don't get lost in the bottom of feeder.

 

[Sueby]

She should always have access to oyster shell, if she doesn't. She may not be getting enough calcium from her feed, some hens require more or just don't process it well (duh, like @aart said, I just went back & read). You can give her a human calcium pill when you see her struggling, it can help her with contractions to move the soft shelled egg & will also help firm up shells. I give one pill a day till they lay a normal egg.