vantain
Songster
So, one of my hens started laying soft shelled eggs a few days ago. Two days in a row, she laid a soft shell egg from the roost, onto the poop board. Then yesterday, I got a hard shelled egg from her in the nest, but it was not a very hard shell, but still a shell.
Yesterday, I noticed she wasn't really eating, but was drinking a LOT of water all day long. She does seem to be bullied by one of the other hens, who I observed driving her away from the feeder at one point yesterday. In the evening, before they went to roost, I made her 1/2 cup of warm mash, made from their regular layena crumbles, and added a little cod liver oil to it with some scrambled egg. She at it all.
This morning, I checked their crops before letting them out into the run, and the one in question had a full and very solid crop. Very little poop under where she was on the roost last night. Out of caution, I brought her inside, and put her in a dog crate for observation. I gave her only water, with electrolytes for now, and no food.
She has pooped since I brought her in, and it looks fairly normal, though somewhat pasty and smells horrible. By fairly normal, I mean it's contents look about what they always do...bits of sand, broken down fibers..etc. The fibers are from them eating the pine bedding. I know everyone says they won't eat the pine shavings, but mine definitely do. I'm worried that is the cause of this particular hen's issues right now.
In any case, she is pooping a bit, and drinking her water. She seems to be drinking quite a lot of the water actually.
Should I feed her anything at this point? I have massaged her crop, and do so a little every hour. I do have mineral oil available, just not sure if now is the time to get some into her or not.
Yesterday, I noticed she wasn't really eating, but was drinking a LOT of water all day long. She does seem to be bullied by one of the other hens, who I observed driving her away from the feeder at one point yesterday. In the evening, before they went to roost, I made her 1/2 cup of warm mash, made from their regular layena crumbles, and added a little cod liver oil to it with some scrambled egg. She at it all.
This morning, I checked their crops before letting them out into the run, and the one in question had a full and very solid crop. Very little poop under where she was on the roost last night. Out of caution, I brought her inside, and put her in a dog crate for observation. I gave her only water, with electrolytes for now, and no food.
She has pooped since I brought her in, and it looks fairly normal, though somewhat pasty and smells horrible. By fairly normal, I mean it's contents look about what they always do...bits of sand, broken down fibers..etc. The fibers are from them eating the pine bedding. I know everyone says they won't eat the pine shavings, but mine definitely do. I'm worried that is the cause of this particular hen's issues right now.
In any case, she is pooping a bit, and drinking her water. She seems to be drinking quite a lot of the water actually.
Should I feed her anything at this point? I have massaged her crop, and do so a little every hour. I do have mineral oil available, just not sure if now is the time to get some into her or not.
