Eggbound??

[mamasnowwolf]

Hi all,
I am fairly new to chickens. We have an 11 mo Partridge Rock. We noticed a bit of poo build up on her backside and decided to bring her in to soak her and help remove some of that and clean her up. We had a very busy day, so we put her in a special kennel in our basement we have set up for a "hospital". The next morning we went to bathe her and found 2 eggs in the kennel. One was broken and soft, the other was a bit deformed, but definitely an egg. The fact she laid 2 in 10 hours does concern me. We kept her inside because our high today is supposed to be 11 and she's still a bit damp in her fluff. Plus, we want to make sure she is laying ok. I know it's winter time and pullets may not be laying daily, We have 8 pullets, but average 3-5 eggs a day. What are some things I should be looking for? How do I know if she's egg bound? Is there anything we can give her to help prevent this from happening? They do get oyster shells in their food, veggie scraps, and occasional treats such as pumpkin, squash and apples. What else can I do?

 

[WIchickMama]

Almost looks like 3 eggs.....

 

[mamasnowwolf]

After about 26 hours, I finally decided to check on our pullet myself. My son checks her food and water, looks for eggs, but I notice something odd. Her vent again has some visible signs of poo, but the kennel is almost clean. There is a small bit of loose poo where she was sitting. She seems to eat and drink and is as active as a bird can be in a kennel. We are going to soak her and hope for more eggs or some more solid poo. Suggestions to help move things along beyond a warm bath?

 

[Mrs. K]

Really I would not expect her to lay again for a day or two. If she is active, and eating she is fine. A bit of poo on her feathers could just be because of the kennel. Often times there is a bit of a glitch when things start back up with laying this time of year. It is not unusual, and is to be expected.

I would get her back out into the coop ASAP, separating birds often causes more problems than it fixes, and they may not recognizer her very quickly. That can be a much bigger problem.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

She seems to eat and drink and is as active as a bird can be in a kennel. We are going to soak her and hope for more eggs or some more solid poo.

I would not soak her again, I would check her crop at night and remove feed and water until you check crop, and poops, in the morning. Pics of poops might help here.

They do get oyster shells in their food, veggie scraps, and occasional treats such as pumpkin, squash and apples.

I would not put the OS in the feed, put it in a separate container.
What is the feed, brand/model/protein and calcium percentage?
Cut out the scraps.

 

[Mrs. K]

Personally - I would not cut out the scraps, unless you are way overloading them on scraps. I really think she is fine. Any bird that is eating, walking, active is fine. They don't produce perfect eggs every day. Especially this time of year when they begin laying again. I think things did get backed up, and have now cleared the system.

Chickens will eat nearly anything and have for centuries. While a long term horrible diet would affect their longevity, and definitely reduce their egg production, many people on here think that a daily diet has immediate effect on all sorts of things. Sometimes I wonder if they have never eaten a hot dog?

I am not a believer in food 24/7. But if you are offering good, fresh layer feed, scraps that are gone in a short spell, and fresh water...you and they are doing fine.

Mrs K