EYP & limp? "Dropping" an egg while walking? What's it mean?

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Is it a symptom of something when a hen lays an egg randomly... like, while walking? My 2 year old GLW did this today, and I'm wondering what it could mean.

Here is a bit of Tooty Bell's backstory-
Back in December or January, Tooty Bell developed an intermittent limp. She had mild bumblefoot scaring, but that did not seem to be the source of the problem. It would go away entirely for a while and then reoccur. As spring approached, and our first ever (then 10 months old) rooster's sex drive took off, her limp got worse. We noticed if he mated with her, she'd limp pretty badly afterward. Aside from the limp she had no other noticable issues. I put her on a garlic regiment a few times in case it was bumblefoot/infection related, but could never tell if it had an impact. We were pretty sure it was musclar as it worstened the more the rooster mated with her. We rehomed the rooster about 2 months ago, and her limp went away entirely, and Tooty went back to normal.

Fast forward a couple months, and our new young roosters were just beginning to hit sexual maturity. (This was about 2-3 weeks ago). Tooty Bell laid a hard-shelled but "wrinkled" egg, which she's never done before. Then a soft-shelled egg laid on the roost, followed by a perfectly normal egg. Then a day later she was really struggling- off balance, flapping when trying to walk, tail down, diarrhoea, poopy butt, pale comb, lethargic). The roosters quickly saw her as an easy target and we had to remove her from the flock. I suspected EYP and started her on antibiotics. She wasn't happy seperated from the flock so I occasionally gave her supervised time with them. During this time the roosters did get to her once or twice. The limp had returned (although I don't think she was limping initialy - but it was hard to tell then). I put her on antibiotics for EYP and within a few days she began perking up- color returned to her comb, she was eating and spunkier, but still limping. After the antibiotics had run their course, I tried asprin, which did not seem to make a difference.

We removed the roosters, and returned Tooty Bell to the flock since the hens were being friendly towards her when the roos weren't around. Tooty had quit laying for about a week or 2, but picked back up quickly laying mostly normally (she did lay 1 or 2 more on the roost and at least 1 was soft shelled). We culled 2 roosters, and returned 1 to the flock. Tooty was doing better, but still had a mild limp, and still held her tail down. The roo is still learning how to rooster and he still targets Tooty a bit more than I'd like, but they are working it out. She still limps but not as badly and can often outrun him/fend him off/the girls come to her rescue, etc... and I'm hoping that as he adjusts and she submits to him, things will settle down.

She is still holding her tail down though, which concerns me. And then today she just randomly laid this egg (see video). Her stool does still have some yellowish in it. I know EYP isn't supposed to be curable, so is this just lingering EYP symtpoms? Should I do another round of antibiotics? Is there something else that might be going on that I'm overlooking?

The first video shows her laying the egg. The second video shows her limp after she completed her antibiotics and was feeling much better but still had a severe limp. At the moment her limp is very mild, almost unnoticable.

 

[AidKD]

While I'm not sure on the limp, the weird eggs could be a result of not enough vitamins and minerals. What is her diet like? I've had hens lay soft-shelled eggs before and in the middle of the yard while walking, and nothing ever really came of it.(I may have accidentally scared her so bad she flew up and laid mid-flight)

 

[FunClucks]

I've occasionally had a few eggs laid mid walk in the run because the lower order hens were not allowed into the nest boxes (head hens were hogging it). When I rearranged the nest boxes, and/or added another, that seemed to help.

If she were my hen, I'd not let her be mated again because it makes her limp worse. But I don't know what's going on with her. Good luck figuring it out!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It's not that uncommon for a hen to expel an egg while out and about.

The limping getting better with no rooster/cockerel around would indicate injury. If the cockerel is harassing her and she's now limping again, perhaps it may be better to wait and introduce him when he's mature and more in control of his hormones.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

While I'm not sure on the limp, the weird eggs could be a result of not enough vitamins and minerals. What is her diet like? I've had hens lay soft-shelled eggs before and in the middle of the yard while walking, and nothing ever really came of it.(I may have accidentally scared her so bad she flew up and laid mid-flight)

The flock is on Purina Flock Raiser. They have access to oyster shells, egg shells, and calcium. She was not eating well at all when she was feeling poorly, but I could usually get her to eat her regular food wet.

I'm totally picturing your hens flying around and dropping eggs... like it's raining eggs! Thanks for the laugh.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

If she were my hen, I'd not let her be mated again because it makes her limp worse. But I don't know what's going on with her. Good luck figuring it out!

Is there a way to prevent the rooster from mating the hen (aside from seperating them). I do have a hen saddle, but my understanding is that it doesn't prevent mating, just protects the hen's body.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

It's not that uncommon for a hen to expel an egg while out and about.

The limping getting better with no rooster/cockerel around would indicate injury. If the cockerel is harassing her and she's now limping again, perhaps it may be better to wait and introduce him when he's mature and more in control of his hormones.

I'm fairly new to having roosters, but that won't happen until he's over a year, right? (The being more in control of his hormones that is). He's only 4 months now. He is getting better with her (in the video she walks right past him and he ignores her which would not have happened a couple days ago). But it is an adjustment for all of them.

I think I screwed up and allowed all 3 of my cockerels to stay with the flock too long. The more domaint cockerel tried to establish himself as the flock leader, and some fo the hens accepted him. But he was the one of the ones we culled, and now I think a few of my hens want him back and won't accept this newbie until they determine their first guy is not coming back.

 

[AidKD]

The flock is on Purina Flock Raiser. They have access to oyster shells, egg shells, and calcium. She was not eating well at all when she was feeling poorly, but I could usually get her to eat her regular food wet.

I'm totally picturing your hens flying around and dropping eggs... like it's raining eggs! Thanks for the laugh.

As for the weird eggs it's probablyjust because she wasn't eating well. Hope you get it all figured out with your rooster!

 

[FunClucks]

Is there a way to prevent the rooster from mating the hen (aside from seperating them). I do have a hen saddle, but my understanding is that it doesn't prevent mating, just protects the hen's body.

Other than separating them, I don't know of a way to prevent mating. But since the limp seems to be from an injury, allowing her to rest for a while (no mating) is probably what needs to happen anyway, IMO. Staying off her leg a bit in a smaller area might also help too.