Elongated Fairy Egg - Any Thoughts? This is when she stopped laying.

[Kakaruk]

So I got this elongated fairy egg. Anyone ever seen one like this? This hen has been a great layer for about 3-4 years, she did molt once. She laid eggs even through the winter. Then this spring, one day she laid a normal fairy egg, then this elongated fairy egg, then she's stopped laying all together. I wonder if she's just done laying for her life span? Either way, I've been giving my girls more calcium, spring is here and the laying season has really begun again. Any thoughts or ideas you have are appreciated, thank you!

 

[SBChickenLady]

I’ve never seen an elongated one like that, but my RIR named Cherry, who had also always been a prolific layer, started laying a number of fairy eggs of various sizes soon before her third birthday and then stopped. We suspected egg bound at first since she still exhibited signs of trying to push something out, but after warm epsom salt baths and exams, did not find anything stuck. Shortly thereafter within a few days her rear (below vent and down to between legs) started to swell up like a balloon. Vet diagnosed her with egg yolk peritonitis.

How is she acting? Any symptoms other than no eggs? How long since last egg? My fingers are crossed she just took an early retirement, but I’d suggest monitoring her for signs of egg bound or egg yolk peritonitis just to be extra safe.

 

[Kakaruk]

Ok, SBChickenLady, this is helpful! We have suspected egg bound but she's not really acting like that and it's been about 2-3 weeks since she laid her last fairy egg. She has been acting a little strange like putting her tail down some when she's always been a very tail up girl, a white leghorn cross. Maybe she does have egg yolk peritonitis? I will look it up. What is that and how do we treat it? We have given her a couple of warm soaking baths as well as now putting out crushed oyster shells for the girls to have that.

 

[SBChickenLady]

When Cherry started to swell up we took her to the vet where she was diagnosed with the EYP. The vet explained that sometimes their little systems just wear down and stop working correctly, and when those yolks drop into their body as opposed to out the chute like normal, it creates an opportunity for infection and fluid build up.

The vet drained some of the fluid build up, but I learned that they can't operate or fully extract the yolk part as it somewhat hardens and attaches inside. So she was placed on Amoxicillin to rid the infection and then Carprofen as an anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling and potentially allow her to function more normally to prevent further yolks dropping inside.

It's been rough, and I don't know how to intervene without vet intervention. Perhaps others on here have experience treating with home methods, but I'm sorry I don't know of any. If possible I would recommend getting her to see a vet to get to the bottom of it, more can be done if it is caught and treated early.

 

[Kakaruk]

I have two thoughts: Thank you for the info! And...... Oh no, that doesn't sound good. She may have that. We do have a vet near us that sees chickens, we may have to take her in. With your experience you shared, I wonder if this is what she has, she does seem to be swelling some but I'll try to check her more closely. It's been about three weeks, maybe two, since she laid this elongated fairy egg. If she were egg bound, she would have died already, so I don't think it's that.

 

[ChicFil- A]

So I got this elongated fairy egg. Anyone ever seen one like this? This hen has been a great layer for about 3-4 years, she did molt once. She laid eggs even through the winter. Then this spring, one day she laid a normal fairy egg, then this elongated fairy egg, then she's stopped laying all together. I wonder if she's just done laying for her life span? Either way, I've been giving my girls more calcium, spring is here and the laying season has really begun again. Any thoughts or ideas you have are appreciated, thank you!View attachment 3459971

it’s a common occurrence with new layers!

 

[Kakaruk]

it’s a common occurrence with new layers!

Hi ChicFil-A, not trying to sound snarky but did you read my post? She's been laying for 3-4 years, then laid one fairy egg, then laid the elongated fairy egg, now stopped laying.

Have you seen an elongated fairy egg? This is the first one I've seen. I've seen lots of normal fairy eggs but this is the first long one I've seen.

Anyway, thank you for reading and responing!