Failed to pass soft egg

[krystin07]

I have a 1 year old EE who looks like a shell-less egg busted on the way out. I noticed she didn't get down from the roosting bars this evening when I refilled their feed bucket. Her tail was lowered, so I took a look under it. It looked like some runny poo was on a couple feathers, and something off white was slightly protruding from her vent. I brought her inside and gave her a quick rinse and then washed a small tote for an Epsom bath. I let her soak for awhile, and I took a medicine dropper and fully filled it with warm water/distilled vinager mix and sprayed it up her vent. A bit of cloudy liquid came out, a tiny bit of poo, and some of the shell came out, but I know she still had more in her vent. Her crop was empty, so I assume that she stayed in the coop all day. She did eat a bit of chick crumble from my hand. I have her wrapped in a towel in my lap right now. What are the chances that she'll survive?

 

[2ndTink]

I don't know the chances she'll survive, but if you can get extra calcium into her and she doesn't get an infection, she should do ok. Do you always have oyster shell out for your hens? Even if they are on layer feed this is still important

Start her on a calcium pill, and if you have some, start an antibiotic as well.

Do a search on BYC and you should find a dosage and type recommendation for the antibiotic, if you can't find one let me know and I'll look too.

I hope she can safely pass all the remaining egg and shell and be back to normal soon!

 

[krystin07]

I don't know the chances she'll survive, but if you can get extra calcium into her and she doesn't get an infection, she should do ok. Do you always have oyster shell out for your hens? Even if they are on layer feed this is still important

Start her on a calcium pill, and if you have some, start an antibiotic as well.

Do a search on BYC and you should find a dosage and type recommendation for the antibiotic, if you can't find one let me know and I'll look too.

I hope she can safely pass all the remaining egg and shell and be back to normal soon!

Yea, but when their oyster shells feeder gets knocked over, they won't eat it off the ground. Apparently, they're too good for that

 

[2ndTink]

Yea, but when their oyster shells feeder gets knocked over, they won't eat it off the ground. Apparently, they're too good for that

See if you can get some calcium tablets into her for about 2 weeks and monitor to make sure she is laying properly shelled eggs. If they are still soft, I would continue the calcium tablets and keep digging to see if there is something else going on.

What feed do you have them on?

 

[ChicNmom]

When I had one break an egg just inside the vent I made a betadine solution with warm water and flushed her out. The soft shell should come out with a good poop or you can glove up and lube a finger, insert it and feel for the rest of the soft egg shell and pull it out.

The egg breaking lower in her system is better than if she was an internal layer and having shell less eggs build up in her body. She could have another egg trying to work it's way out. Keep giving the calcium as directed above.

Try to get her eating. Scrambled egg, or a feed mash. Sometimes I try some plain oatmeal in the mash.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Find a small, cheap one of these: pet food gravity feeder, get two. One for oyster shell, one for grit. I have about 25 chickens and only have to fill these about once a year, and they don't get knocked over.

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