Help please! soft eggshell, lethargic hen

[Finn's Mom]

One of my new layers just laid an egg with no shell accompanied by a bunch of gooey stuff. I got the egg out of the run but the other hens were WAY excited about the even and eating up the rest of the evidence.

There seems to be something wrong with the hen as she appears to be stunned or at least very sleepy now. What do I do for my hen? Is she in shock? She has had access to oyster shell supplement for weeks and my other hens have laid eggs with nice hard shells (same age, same breed). Any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated!

Update: I put her in her old brooder because the other hens were becoming interested in what was coming out of her back end and she was just out of it. I let her rest for a couple of hours and she seems to have snapped out of it. Now I only have to worry about if it happens when I am not home.

 

[chkinut]

i wish i had some advice for you....but i'll bump ya.....

 

[sheaviance1]

I don't know for sure, but I remember a post where someone said it is just harder on them to push out a soft shell egg than something hard that "glides" better. Could be she is just exhausted. What are you talking about when you say that the other hens are interested in her backside? She isn't prolapsed is she?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

It happens a lot with new and old layers that they lay an egg without a shell. The goo may have been another shell less egg. If you have a plastic waterer add a bit of apple cider vinegar to it.

Do your best to keep your other chickens from eating the shell-less eggs. Hens can quickly become egg eaters which is near impossible to break

 

[Finn's Mom]

She is not prolapsed, thank goodness.
I think she WAS just exhausted. The other girls had realized the goo was coming from her and were starting to get a little too personal with her so that's when I took her out of the run.
I am really hoping this was a one-off event as I can see how easily they would develop a taste for eggs. It was pure luck that I happened to stop to pull a few weeds and walk over to give them some dandelions just moments after she laid the egg.
She seems fine this morning. (though she'll probably develop a complex because I'll be staring at her all day) Thank you for your responses!