Eggbound chicken??

[Noobchick]

(Questions below pictures.) Our best layer, Scarlett, a RIR, has been laying one egg a day since she started laying, taking only two days off. That changed two days ago, when she laid a fart egg.

Fart egg 2 days ago
http://db.tt/EizDjd6c

Inside fart egg
http://db.tt/77TpqCJA

I chaulked it up to just one of those things. But today, she tried to lay an egg and didn't. I checked on the chickens this AM and she was in the nesting box, so I know she was trying. When I checked on them this afternoon though, no egg from her. I thought maybe they kicked it out of the nesting box (as they sometimes do) so checked the whole floor of the coop but there was no egg.

She seems ok so far: eating, drinking and pecking around. I can definitely feel an egg in her when i checked her and I also saw some yellowish stuff in and around her vent. It didn't look like egg yolk to me but I don't know what else it could be.

Vent just now
http://db.tt/4wWCCTOX

My questions are this:
1. Is she eggbound?
2. If so, should I intervene or just leave her alone? I want to help but definitely don't want to interfere if I don't need to.
3. Any ideas on what the yellowish stuff could be?

This is the first issue with laying I've had so I'm on new ground and would really appreciate people's help.

 

[Noobchick]

No one has any ideas as to what the yellowish stuff could be?

Is she egg bound even if she is acting ok??

 

[Imissmyroofabio]

Is she walking, and does not have pain in the legs, stomach? Normally if they are eggbound they wont walk/cant walk and are sensitive in that area. if it is an egg, put her in a sink or big round object, and fill it with warm/lukewarm water, and massage the stomach, making your way back to vent, repeat for a little bit, maybe until the egg comes out or at most 10-15 minutes in the water.
sorry not sure what the yellow is, doesn't look like egg to me but thats just my opinion, but I pretty good with this kind of stuff because I like to learn how to treat stuff before it happens.

 

[Noobchick]

She can walk. Doesn't seem to be in pain. If she's not eggbound what would cause her to be in the nesting box trying to lay an egg but not laying??

She's in the nesting box in the coop now. I'm hoping there's an egg when I check on her again. Just can't figure out why she'd be so regular with laying, then not be.

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

Quote:
A decrease in eggs -The shortened days could be to blame- Is she eating layer feed and oyster shell? If she is eggbound, you will want to give her calcium rich foods. I was unable to view the pictures, so I am just going on the assumption of eggbound and the treatment is warm baths, dark, warm place to stay (limit light to 4-6 hours daily), oyster shell, yogurt, even a crushed tums...

The healthy alternate possibility is that she's going broody

In that case you'll find her in the nesting boxes almost constantly- only leaving to eat, drink, and have a huge poop before returning usually-

Hope your gals turns out to be ok!

 

[OrpingtonHopeful]

Another thought- have your hens been wormed? Any signs of mites? Have her poops looked normal?

 

[Noobchick]

Quote:
We have a light on a timer in their coop. When they started laying, they were only getting 11 hours of natural daylight. I wasn't expecting them to start laying this year and so I didn't even initially try to do the artificial light. Once they started though, I didn't want them to go through a molt (brrrr- no feathers in winter!) so that's when I started with the timer light.

She was REALLY ticked off this AM the whole time she was in the bathroom. I'm taking that to mean she feels ok??

The girls were all getting really thin over the last few weeks and then I found a worm in one of their poops, so I wormed them two days ago with Valbazen. Her poops have been looking a little mushy, with a decent amount of gravel coming out in the poop. Haven't found any mites. After I saw all the gravel coming out, I thought maybe impacted crop but it emptied out ok this AM. Tricky chicken…

Am just about to go down to check on her again.

 

[Imissmyroofabio]

forgot to add, depending on how old she is, RIR are very picky layers, and stop/decrease egg production very early (about 4 years old is when it starts to be off and on)

 

[Noobchick]

She's only 32 weeks old at this point. Ever since I wormed tem all, her egg production's been weird. She used to lay like clockwork and now she's skipped a couple days in the last week. I don't mind except I'm a little concerned that it nay be an indication that she's not feeling well?? I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope you all are too. Thanks for your help!