egg, no shell, odd posture, is she ok??

[New Chick In The Backyard]

I said posture because I can't think of a better word. Today my hen layed 2 eggs? She is most likely an ISA Brown, less likely a Rhode Island Red. (Red with a few off white feathers in her tail and on neck and the root of her red feathers is white) The first egg either came from last night or this morning. I'm guessing from this morning because that is usually when she lays. (SIDE QUESTION: My young hens that just started laying, lay at different times in the day. When they get older, will they lay in the morning like her?) Then right before I put her up tonight I saw an egg on the ground with no shell and it was leaking out of her. She was doing a posture like a dog does when it is defecating. Hope that makes sense. Do you think she has a shell stuck because of her doing this? How can I check? What can I do? I'm worried for her. Please help.

Extra info: The man that sold her to me told me she is a young hen that was about to start laying. Since then I have been told about how dishonest these people are and that she probably wasnt fed correctly and was probably in a cage with a ton of other chickens and maybe she was laying less and less eggs so they decided to sale her with this lie. I don't know if this is true or not. She didn't lay eggs for weeks after I got her, then layed an egg on most days for about 2 1/2 weeks and then stopped completely when it got super hot outside. Then she layed about once a week for a short time and then layed what looked like a big piece of skin. I have another post on it. I was told it was probably a lash egg or part of her reproductive system and she probably wouldn't lay again...and she stopped laying for 2-3 weeks and I thought that was it but after eating some layer pellet she has layed an egg everyday for the last 7 days and then this happened today. Can anyone come up with an educated guess from this info? Thank you for your time. Here's the link if you want to see the "skin or lash egg" she layed.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ok-my-mind-is-totally-blown-what-is-this.1475934/

 

[Sleigh]

I have been this with this situation a couple of times, most recently on 01 May 2021. One of my Plymouth Barred Rocks was leaking from her vent. She was hunched as you describe your girl. She got an epsom salt soak/bath which did nothing. She returned to the coop and slept in the nestbox until nightfall. She could not jump to the roost; I had to put her up.

The next 24 hours were her trying to expel something (hunched up). I could see something protruding when she pushed but it would just go back in.

I tried sweeping her vent. She was not on board with that idea. I was unsuccessful. I put her back out in the yard. She self-isolated and continued to try to push "the thing" out. She was not herself for several days. However, within a week, she was back to normal.

You could lube up your finger and check your girl for something lodged inside.

You could also let her pass whatever might be in her.

Whatever you do, give her space and time to rest. Make sure that she is eating a quality pellet layer feed. If you are giving treats, stop or cut WAY back. I say this, because they are changes that I have had to make.

 

[New Chick In The Backyard]

I have been this with this situation a couple of times, most recently on 01 May 2021. One of my Plymouth Barred Rocks was leaking from her vent. She was hunched as you describe your girl. She got an epsom salt soak/bath which did nothing. She returned to the coop and slept in the nestbox until nightfall. She could not jump to the roost; I had to put her up.

The next 24 hours were her trying to expel something (hunched up). I could see something protruding when she pushed but it would just go back in.

I tried sweeping her vent. She was not on board with that idea. I was unsuccessful. I put her back out in the yard. She self-isolated and continued to try to push "the thing" out. She was not herself for several days. However, within a week, she was back to normal.

You could lube up your finger and check your girl for something lodged inside.

You could also let her pass whatever might be in her.

Whatever you do, give her space and time to rest. Make sure that she is eating a quality pellet layer feed. If you are giving treats, stop or cut WAY back. I say this, because they are changes that I have had to make.

Oh, this is scary. I already almost lost her because of very bad worms and possibly laying the lash egg. She was sick for SOO LONG. Thank you for your advice and help. I hope she gets it out. I'm going outside with a flashlight to see if I need to put her on the roost. Her coop is very secure but I want her to be comfortable. If she feels bad tomorrow I'll bring her inside for A.C. and put her in my "chicken hospital" (two containers, one overturned over the other and attached on one side with a roost).I will report back with any progress. God Bless.

 

[Cecisflock]

I’m not sure how to help but she is definitely not a RIR. Possibly a funky looking ISA brown Good luck with your baby

 

[Sleigh]

Oh, this is scary. I already almost lost her because of very bad worms and possibly laying the lash egg. She was sick for SOO LONG. Thank you for your advice and help. I hope she gets it out. I'm going outside with a flashlight to see if I need to put her on the roost. Her coop is very secure but I want her to be comfortable. If she feels bad tomorrow I'll bring her inside for A.C. and put her in my "chicken hospital" (two containers, one overturned over the other and attached on one side with a roost).I will report back with any progress. God Bless.

I have found that recovery does take time. Letting her rest, giving her good feed and fresh water, and making she that she is at a comfortable temperature should help.

The "skin" image looks like a membrane to me. Two of my girls have done the same - yolk and white out, followed by the membrane/thin shell. I have also had one hen lay a lash egg. I have made a few adjustments to the feeding habits to make sure this does not happen again. Being consistent with the layer pellet feed with free choice calcium should help a lot.

For me, seeing them ailing is so painful. Try to stay positive.

 

[New Chick In The Backyard]

I’m not sure how to help but she is definitely not a RIR. Possibly a funky looking ISA brown Good luck with your baby

I'm actually glad to know that. Thanks. lol

 

[Cecisflock]

I'm actually glad to know that. Thanks. lol

You’re welcome

 

[New Chick In The Backyard]

I have found that recovery does take time. Letting her rest, giving her good feed and fresh water, and making she that she is at a comfortable temperature should help.

The "skin" image looks like a membrane to me. Two of my girls have done the same - yolk and white out, followed by the membrane/thin shell. I have also had one hen lay a lash egg. I have made a few adjustments to the feeding habits to make sure this does not happen again. Being consistent with the layer pellet feed with free choice calcium should help a lot.

For me, seeing them ailing is so painful. Try to stay positive.

Looks like this never got posted a LONG time ago. I am so happy to report that she is ok. She is walking around being queen and bullying a little again, eating and drinking and getting into trouble. She reminds me of a child. In fact a lot of them remind me of children sometimes. lol. How they try to get away with things. They crack me up. lol. I hope we don't have another problem. The thing that came out was the consistancy of skin on a raw chicken but a lot thicker and it smelled like raw chicken. Do you still think that it was a membrane after hearing this? Did you hen that layed the lash egg lay again? Did she live long?

 

[Sleigh]

Looks like this never got posted a LONG time ago. I am so happy to report that she is ok. She is walking around being queen and bullying a little again, eating and drinking and getting into trouble. She reminds me of a child. In fact a lot of them remind me of children sometimes. lol. How they try to get away with things. They crack me up. lol. I hope we don't have another problem. The thing that came out was the consistancy of skin on a raw chicken but a lot thicker and it smelled like raw chicken. Do you still think that it was a membrane after hearing this? Did you hen that layed the lash egg lay again? Did she live long?

I am so glad to read that. I hope good health continues for her and the rest of your flock.

What you are describing doesn't sound like a membrane. It very well could be a lash egg. I went back through some of the photos of what I got from Rocky over her "challenging time" which was from early December through mid-March. The first image (12/05) was the membrane I found that she expelled after expelling the white and yolk hours hours prior. The second image (01/08) is a very thin shell with an odd tail that was fleshy; it did not come out as a whole egg. The third (02/05)... I just don't even know. I found that in the coop one morning with the yolk and white

in a different location in the coop. The final image (03/13) is definitely a lash egg.

During this time, just over three months, she laid only 4 whole eggs. The rest were either dropped from the roost or oozed out of her the wrong way - white and yolk then the shell. This aside, she did seem otherwise okay until the 02/05 egg. That is when she went to the vet. February was touch and go for her. She seemed a lot better in March and then... BAM... a lash egg. She dropped two more inside out eggs before resuming normal laying.

Anyway, long story, but we are four months out and she is back to ruling the roost. She lays 5-6 days a week. Solid, normal eggs though half have "meat bits" in them (which I think is gross).

Chickens are weird. Everyone I spoke to said they are easy. "Just feed them and keep the coop clean and you will be fine." HA! I love my girls and have enjoyed having them. They will live full natural lives with me, but good golly, sometimes it is just so much worry.