Flap thing sticking out vent

[My Three Chicks]

My 1.5 year old Red Sexlink has a little flap thing sticking out her vent. It wasn't there yesterday. When I touch it she contracts her vent and it goes back in. Didn't want to pull at it not knowing what it is. Any ideas what it is or if i need to do anything? She's acting completely normal. Laid yesterday.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is probably an egg membrane from an egg that collapsed inside. I would try to pull it out, but don’t force it. Do you see any egg yolk or white in the coop or on her vent? Is she coming out of or going into a molt? I would be tempted to give her a human calcium tablet with vitamin D or Tums orally for a couple of days.

 

[My Three Chicks]

It is probably an egg membrane from an egg that collapsed inside. I would try to pull it out, but don’t force it. Do you see any egg yolk or white in the coop or on her vent? Is she coming out of or going into a molt? I would be tempted to give her a human calcium tablet with vitamin D or Tums orally for a couple of days.

I did notice some slimy stuff under her roost bar last night so you might be right. It was probably some yolk or white membrane. She's never had that happen (although she did have a few soft shelled eggs a while back). And the poo she had this morning was also a little slimy. I have her in the house now isolated and will go try to gently pull it in a bit. If I can't easily remove it, do you think she'll expel it herself? Definitely don't want anything stuck inside of her! And no, she's not coming out of a molt. But coincidentally she did wake up with minor impacted crop this morning (so that's why I have her isolated, so she doesn't eat until it clears).

 

[Eggcessive]

Usually when this happens, the other chickens see it and pull it out. It should come out in her droppings. It sounds like she is either not getting enough calcium in her diet or her shell gland is not working properly. When they have shell-less eggs, they can break inside if they are having trouble laying them. An antibiotic might help prevent infection, but many people don’t like to use antibiotics on their egg layers. Make sure that she is getting crushed oyster shell in a separate container from her feed. Is she on layer feed? I would give the calcium tablets or Tums for 3 days to a week. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Usually when this happens, the other chickens see it and pull it out. It should come out in her droppings. It sounds like she is either not getting enough calcium in her diet or her shell gland is not working properly. When they have shell-less eggs, they can break inside if they are having trouble laying them. An antibiotic might help prevent infection, but many people don’t like to use antibiotics on their egg layers. Make sure that she is getting crushed oyster shell in a separate container from her feed. Is she on layer feed? I would give the calcium tablets or Tums for 3 days to a week. Let us know how she gets along.

I actually had taken her to the vet when she had her soft shells and it was concluded that they were getting too many 'treats' between free ranging and what I was giving them. After cutting it out, she went back to my little egg laying queen!
Yes, they are currently on Scratch & Peck 18% Layer feed (I normally give them 16% but her 3 sisters are all molting so I switched to 18%). And they have free access to oyster shell plus I bake their eggshells and crush for them. She eats a lot of the eggshell for sure.

 

[Eggcessive]

I tried Scratch and Peck layer feed once. There were seeds that they would eat, but the powdery parts (probably vitamins and minerals and other nutritional additives,) they just left. So, I prefer a more homogenous feed such as crumbles or pellets, where each bite has all of the parts they need, and they can just eat the parts they like.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Usually when this happens, the other chickens see it and pull it out. It should come out in her droppings. It sounds like she is either not getting enough calcium in her diet or her shell gland is not working properly. When they have shell-less eggs, they can break inside if they are having trouble laying them. An antibiotic might help prevent infection, but many people don’t like to use antibiotics on their egg layers. Make sure that she is getting crushed oyster shell in a separate container from her feed. Is she on layer feed? I would give the calcium tablets or Tums for 3 days to a week. Let us know how she gets along.

I just gently pulled it out as she was pooping and you all were right it was part of an eggshell!
Her poo looks normal (to me). Does that mean any egg or eggshell remnants have been expelled? Or do I need to worry about any more inside her?

 

[Eggcessive]

It is probably just membrane, and no shell. You can use a clean finger and lube it to insert a finger into her vent to feel for any remnants, but it has probably already come out.

 

[My Three Chicks]

It is probably just membrane, and no shell. You can use a clean finger and lube it to insert a finger into her vent to feel for any remnants, but it has probably already come out.

Ok, I've never done that before so it will be another new learning experience for me!

So you think that perhaps a full shell never formed. Because I know she hasn't passed a full shell. This is the only shell-like piece she's passed.