Egg bound issues

[Moomie]

Obligatory - new to chickens this year. I have an Easter Egger, Robin, about 22 weeks old and 6 other girls about the same age. She started laying around 19 weeks. My girls free range so I'm not sure of the exact date but she's the only one laying blue eggs. A few days after she and a couple others started laying I found 2 shell less eggs on the coop floor. All the girls looked well so I figured it was a new layer hiccup. Fast forward to a week ago. Robin layed large eggs 2 days in a row, considerably larger than her previous eggs. 2 days went by with no eggs but she seemed fine. Later that evening, Aug 8, I noticed her laying down, tail down, alone. As I approached her she didn't move. I suspected she was egg bound so I did and Epsom salt soak and separated her. About 20 minutes after the soak she passed 3 shell less eggs and what looked like ribbon of paper that was clearly very soft shell. She seemed better. I checked her in the morning and she was panting with her tail down. I soaked her again. I checked her over lunch and soaked her again. Sometime later she passed a very soft shell. She seemed better after that. It took 2 days before she laid an egg but it looked fine. She laid the next 5 days in a row without issue. However later Monday evening she wasn't moving around and got her to drink some water then she walked very slowly, some clear liquid came out of her vent. She got all puffed up and passed a shell less egg and a very soft shelled egg then she was fine. She has not laid today. Food - all the girls were finishing the starter food (I still have 2 not laying) and was transitioning to layer. They have access to oyster shells at will. They eat lots of greens - kale and broccoli leaves mostly. We have 1 cockrel but he is separated because he's an over eager teenager. I'm just not sure what to do. Do I take her to the vet? Is this beyond being egg bound? Is it just because she newly laying? Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated.

 

[Grace8269]

Hi! If you have access to an avian vet, use them. Isolate your sick chicken. Then, give her a warm bath. Using your finger, coated in vaseline, stick it in her vent. feel around for a rounded mass, the egg, and pull it out. I like to give mine "human" antibiotics, dosed down for their tiny little bodies. Feed her some yogurt, for the probiotics. And, give her normal feed and water. Also, give her extra calcium, via oyster shells. Check for infections. Sometimes when the egg breaks, the yolk can cause an infection. I hope this helps! Best of luck!

 

[Brooksy21]

This kinda happened to my first EE Blue layer as well. However I didn’t notice the not moving or moving slowly. She would however lay multiple soft shell eggs while she slept at night on the roost. Then sit in her box forever panting the next day for me to comeback and find her egg on the floor. She’s got it all sorted out now and lays in the box with no problems. I definitely thought just new laying problems but it was starting to worry me a bit. How is your girl doing now?

 

[Moomie]

This kinda happened to my first EE Blue layer as well. However I didn’t notice the not moving or moving slowly. She would however lay multiple soft shell eggs while she slept at night on the roost. Then sit in her box forever panting the next day for me to comeback and find her egg on the floor. She’s got it all sorted out now and lays in the box with no problems. I definitely thought just new laying problems but it was starting to worry me a bit. How is your girl doing now?

She seems ok now. I did notice a few super soft shelled eggs on the floor of the coop a few times. I guess she worked it out.