HELP please, Soft shell eggs breaking in chicken causing infection

[Wol1]

Yesterday, I took a 2 yr old chicken to an avian vet because her belly was swollen and heavy. I feared internal egg laying and euthanasia. He thought it was a broken soft-shell egg which caused infection and inflammation. He gave her injections of an anti-inflammatory and long-acting antibiotic. She still looks miserable, but is eating a little bit of corn and taking a little bit of water with it.

We were having a lot of soft-shell and fragile eggs, but that seemed to clear up when we started a new bag of feed. Many of the girls started having diarrhea a few days ago, so I'm assuming parasites are absorbing the nutrients from their food before they can, and that is causing the soft-shell eggs.

TODAY, I saw what looked like a big blob of poop stuck in the vent of one of the other girls (also a 2 yr old). I wiped it away and, surprise, it was a partial soft-shell egg. She looks miserable, she doesn't have a swollen belly. How can I get calcium in them FAST, should I start any that look questionable on antibiotics? What would work for this type of infection?

I'm so worried. Any help would be deeply appreciated.

 

[Ameraucanas]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/07/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms.html
Hope one of these helps!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/233191/help-broken-egg-inside-hen-shes-really-sick/10
Good luck!

 

[Wol1]

Thank You! Lot's of good reading there.

 

[Wol1]

Thank you again for the links. Gave the sick girls bottom baths last night, then put on disposable gloves slicked up with mineral oil and felt around. the first one that saw the doctor, had nothing I could feel...I assume the doctor removed it? (Can't ask until Monday), but lots of watery, yellow discharge came out when I removed my finger. Ugh. Second girl, I found some of the soft shell inside her. It was partially stuck to her insides, so it took a bit of gentle persuasion. She was very unhappy, but seemed to perk up after I got it (and a bunch of other nasty stuff) out. I gave her a penicillin shot. her appetite is good. The first girl is still not wanting to eat or drink which really alarms me. She just stands, looking miserable, although she no longer looks depressed now that she has her sister with her. I hoped that having her sister with her would encourage her to eat, but not yet. So worried about her.

Bought dollar store tums last night, but they refused it. I will put try again in oatmeal, and if all else fails, I'll put milk in their waterer.

 

[Ameraucanas]

I'm glad it helped! I hope they feel better!

 

[MrsBachbach]

Thank you again for the links.  Gave the sick girls bottom baths last night, then put on disposable gloves slicked up with mineral oil and felt around.  the first one that saw the doctor, had nothing I could feel...I assume the doctor removed it?  (Can't ask until Monday), but lots of watery, yellow discharge came out when I removed my finger.  Ugh.  Second girl, I found some of the soft shell inside her.  It was partially stuck to her insides, so it took a bit of gentle persuasion.  She was very unhappy, but seemed to perk up after I got it (and a bunch of other nasty stuff) out.  I gave her a penicillin shot.  her appetite is good.  The first girl is still not wanting to eat or drink which really alarms me.   She just stands, looking miserable, although she no longer looks depressed now that she has her sister with her.  I hoped that having her sister with her would encourage her to eat, but not yet.  So worried about her. 

Bought dollar store tums last night, but they refused it.  I will put try again in oatmeal, and if all else fails, I'll put milk in their waterer.

Are both on antibiotics? I would put them both on antibiotics, especially the one not eating or drinking. You may have to tube feed water with vit/electrolytes in it to keep her hydrated through this. At the very least about four ounces a day, although they need more.
As far as calcium, just get some Citrical or other human calcium supplement, cut it in half and open their beak and put it in the back of the throat with your finger. That's how you get them to take it. I have a hen who won't eat her layer feed well or oyster shell so I have to give her calcium supplements during this laying season or I get soft eggs from her. About half a pill works for about three days. Might depend on whether they are everyday layers or not. Mine isn't. They free range, so I guess she prefers that to the feed. The calcium pills work. The ones I use have D in it also, so I guess that helps.

 

[Wol1]

Yes, I have been giving them penicillin shots. Big difference by the next day. They are both drinking, but the one I took to the vet isn't eating much. They are both much more alert. They've lost that "I feel so awful" look in their eyes. Last night I used the turkey baster cleaning method. Ick. Felt much better in there afterwards, though. No bits of any shell left. Bellies are getting less swollen. No eggs, yet, and droppings are still odd.... Very dark and wet with the white on top. Fingers crossed.

 

[Wol1]

Absolutely refuses the tums, and they're berry flavored. They love berries, so I thought they would go over well. One likes it, the other spits it out no matter what I try. I've put milk with electrolyte/probiotic/vitamin powder in it in with them. They drank a lot overnight. Bellies continue to decrease in size. The one that wasn't eating started drinking when her sister did. Last night we sprinkled chopped walnuts, millet, and oats for her and she ate them. We had quite a scare with her last night when she collapsed after the penicillin shot. That's in another post on here. Daughter submitted the post while I walked around bouncing and jiggling her, begging her to stay with me. She has recovered.