Grainy eggshells?

[KikiZobi]

Hi all, my 1.5 yo Black Australorp started laying funky eggs about a month ago. It was peak heat at the time and we had doubled the flock size by adding three pullets (we raised from chicks) about a month prior. Her eggs are paper thin and on the wider half, they are very grainy to the touch, almost like the calcium isn't attaching to the egg? She used to be a prolific daily layer, but now we find her broken eggs every three days or so.

None of the other hens are having issues, and they all have constant access to oyster shell and crushed eggshells. We fed her some supplemental plain Greek yogurt for a week and her shells appeared somewhat less grainy, but still very thin and breakable.

We went to the vet a week ago and he suggested she had caught a virus that affected her reproductive system and may or may not live this way the rest of her days.

Any experience with eggs like these? What can I do to improve her quality of life and/or egglaying? Thanks!

 

[nao57]

Well... I hope others can speak up more on this. I don't have experience with this.

But in a general sense you could practice taking her temperature with a hand thermometer under the wing, and also with another hen to compare. You could also continue to look at malnutrition and full vitamin approaches to help, though that may or may not be enough.

Thermometers by hand also aren't expensive.

And this could help you to be able to tell if she's really out of the virus yet, once its through and once you are practiced at it. During a virus stage people and animals could have higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal also.

Hopefully others will speak up on this. But I do think this bit of info will help with what others can contribute more on.

 

[KikiZobi]

Thanks @nao57! Her vent temp was normal while at the vet, and he said she appeared to be "extremely healthy" otherwise. Maybe I'll pursue vitamins...

 

[dawg53]

Infectious Bronchitis (IB) is a virus that effects the reproductive system and causes shell deformities, particularly wrinkled eggs and watery whites inside eggs. However in your case, I dont believe it's IB because other birds would easily be infected by the virus showing the same symptoms.
There's the possibility that your Australorp might have a vitamin D deficiency which helps in calcium absorption. It might be best to add vitamin D in her feed and see if there's improvement in egg shell. Give it time for shell improvement.

 

[KikiZobi]

There's the possibility that your Australorp might have a vitamin D deficiency which helps in calcium absorption. It might be best to add vitamin D in her feed and see if there's improvement in egg shell. Give it time for shell improvement.

Thanks for this! I'll have to see what kind of supplements I can find online.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Hi all, my 1.5 yo Black Australorp started laying funky eggs about a month ago. It was peak heat at the time and we had doubled the flock size by adding three pullets (we raised from chicks) about a month prior. Her eggs are paper thin and on the wider half, they are very grainy to the touch, almost like the calcium isn't attaching to the egg? She used to be a prolific daily layer, but now we find her broken eggs every three days or so.

None of the other hens are having issues, and they all have constant access to oyster shell and crushed eggshells. We fed her some supplemental plain Greek yogurt for a week and her shells appeared somewhat less grainy, but still very thin and breakable.

We went to the vet a week ago and he suggested she had caught a virus that affected her reproductive system and may or may not live this way the rest of her days.

Any experience with eggs like these? What can I do to improve her quality of life and/or egglaying? Thanks!

Hi! I’m so sorry! When I was reading this I was positive this couldn’t be a calcium issue, and I’m probably right with the vets confirmation. It’s normals to see little bumps and chips of raised shell on a shell, but from what I’m seeing your photo shows more than just one or two bumps... (which would be normal) something could be wrong in the shell gland caused by this virus, and a way to help could actually be giving her plenty of calcium and watching her. An easy way to get it in their system is tums! Some birds love it, others, like my sweet Pebbles, hate it! (Rip) if she doesn’t want to eat it, mix it in with the Greek yogurt and she won’t notice. Watch these soft shelled eggs,This could also be dangerous because they could break inside her very easily. If you think this is the case take her to the vet ASAP and when I say ASAP I really mean it! If it’s left to long the yolk could harden and you wouldn’t be able to syringe it out. This could also cause a serious infection, the eggshell might pass with her poop, along with hardened yolk, but I would never put my girls at risk. My favorite hen joy had a series of soft shelled eggs break because she would eat her oyster shell. She could extremely sick and I never though she would make it, but against the odds (something she goes against a LOT!) she survived and is back at the top of the pecking order! I would go ahead and isolate this chicken, inside, in a room that is cool, not to cold, and not to hot, in a dog crate or loose with a diaper. Just make sure this room has low light/no window, and preferably dimmable lights. You will also want to start checking her temperature, under the wing, you can read about it on the internet, watch videos if you need to. If you really want to pamper her, you could put another girl in there with her, if she has a best friend put her in the “isolation” with her (if this virus is not contagious) so she isn’t lonely. Also give her plenty of enrichment. Colored rocks to peck, CDS to reflect light to chase, mirrors, and food toys. Make sure she is never to bored! I hope the best for a recovery and my heart is with you and you chicken, I know what this is like, it’s scary and you just want the best for her.

 

[KikiZobi]

Something could be wrong in the shell gland caused by this virus, and a way to help could actually be giving her plenty of calcium and watching her. An easy way to get it in their system is tums!

Thank you for this specific suggestion! Hopefully I won't be posting any more to the emergency thread

 

[Eggcessive]

My hens had infectious bronchitis virus around 1-2 years old. Some later had wrinkled egg shells, thin shells, or various other shell problems. But most laid normal eggs. Several of the hens died of reproductive issues after the age of 3 years.

On another note, we had a great young layer later on, who was hurt by a dog, and immediately stopped laying for several months. When she began laying again, almost every day she laid a shell-less or thin shelled egg. It made a mess in the nest boxes and required cleaning out daily since the eggs broke or were eaten. She died of a reproductive infection at 3.

Here is a good link to read about egg quality problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[CHlCKEN]

Thank you for this specific suggestion! Hopefully I won't be posting any more to the emergency thread

Of course! I hope nothing turns the other way! Stay in the good side of luck!

 

[KikiZobi]

My hens had infectious bronchitis virus around 1-2 years old. Some later had wrinkled egg shells, thin shells, or various other shell problems. But most laid normal eggs. Several of the hens died of reproductive issues after the age of 3 years.

On another note, we had a great young layer later on, who was hurt by a dog, and immediately stopped laying for several months. When she began laying again, almost every day she laid a shell-less or thin shelled egg. It made a mess in the nest boxes and required cleaning out daily since the eggs broke or were eaten. She died of a reproductive infection at 3.

Here is a good link to read about egg quality problems:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

Phew, well good to know what we might be in for-- thank you. I'll have to look into determining the cause of death when we run into that. So far, we havent had chickens long enough to run into that.