Hen acting strange

[katnichole523]

Hi everyone! This morning I came out to take care of the girls and let them out and I noticed Rose acting funny. She didn’t want to leave the run to free range and once I coaxed her out she just lays down. She seems not as active as she usually is and lately we’ve been battling soft shelled eggs with her. She’s eating and drinking like normal and still puts up a fight when I try to catch her. Her vent seems normal though her butt feathers seem to droop and she’ll occasionally hop on both feet though there’s no signs of bumblefoot. I’m new to chickens and I don’t know what to do to help my girl. Yall are so helpful I thought I’d reach out here first.

 

[alinas2010]

Hi sorry to hear about your hen. How is she doing now? You mentioned she has been laying soft shelled eggs, when was the last time she laid an egg? I would start giving her some calcium citrate plus D3. It is a human vitamin you can get at most grocery stores. You’ll want to give her 600 mg per day. It’s best to pop the whole pill in her mouth to ensure she is getting the whole amount. Just gently pull her wattles down and pop pill in, let go of her wattles and she’ll swallow.

Do this once per day for up to a week and see if the soft shells improve. The D3 will help stimulate contractions to get the soft eggs out. Be sure you have oyster shell available at all times on the side for your hens to eat as they need.

 

[katnichole523]

Hi sorry to hear about your hen. How is she doing now? You mentioned she has been laying soft shelled eggs, when was the last time she laid an egg? I would start giving her some calcium citrate plus D3. It is a human vitamin you can get at most grocery stores. You’ll want to give her 600 mg per day. It’s best to pop the whole pill in her mouth to ensure she is getting the whole amount. Just gently pull her wattles down and pop pill in, let go of her wattles and she’ll swallow.

Do this once per day for up to a week and see if the soft shells improve. The D3 will help stimulate contractions to get the soft eggs out. Be sure you have oyster shell available at all times on the side for your hens to eat as they need.

She’s doing okay today. She’s not her normal full self but I know that comes with time. Thank you for the d3 suggestion we’ll be starting that today. I’ve been giving her tums on and off since seeing the soft shelled eggs. She’s laid about 4 or 5 of them. I even tried electrolytes and she has a bowl of oyster shells always available.

 

[alinas2010]

She’s doing okay today. She’s not her normal full self but I know that comes with time. Thank you for the d3 suggestion we’ll be starting that today. I’ve been giving her tums on and off since seeing the soft shelled eggs. She’s laid about 4 or 5 of them. I even tried electrolytes and she has a bowl of oyster shells always available.

You’re welcome, I’m glad she’s a bit better. What is her diet like? Does she get a lot of treats? I have a hen who just cannot tolerate a lot of treats otherwise she consistently lays soft shelled eggs. I have a feeling she (my hen) also may have a shell gland issue, though. See how she does with the calcium plus d3 and keep us updated.

Have you checked her crop in the morning to ensure it isn’t a crop issue? Her crop should be completely flat in the mornings. Also, be sure to thoroughly inspect her for mites and lice, they can weaken a chicken unexpectedly. Just trying to think of everything

 

[WingItRanch]

Hi I'll let the experts give advice but I just wanted to note something I observed. In the 3rd photo of Rose, it looks like the tips of her comb are purplish. That may be a sign of heart issues or lack of oxygen. The only reason I noticed this is because my cockerel gets purple tips sometimes to his comb and I searched BYC for answers.

 

[alinas2010]

Hi I'll let the experts give advice but I just wanted to note something I observed. In the 3rd photo of Rose, it looks like the tips of her comb are purplish. That may be a sign of heart issues or lack of oxygen. The only reason I noticed this is because my cockerel gets purple tips sometimes to his comb and I searched BYC for answers.

Good observation, I didn’t see that.

She’s doing okay today. She’s not her normal full self but I know that comes with time. Thank you for the d3 suggestion we’ll be starting that today. I’ve been giving her tums on and off since seeing the soft shelled eggs. She’s laid about 4 or 5 of them. I even tried electrolytes and she has a bowl of oyster shells always available.

Is her abdomen distended at all?

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with the others. I would check her weight, and restrict her from getting many extras except for her normal chicken feed. Is she getting a balanced layer feed or all flock feed? Being overweight could add to her problems. That can lead to fatty liver or ascites water belly.) She could be having an oviduct problem with her shell gland or salpingitis. I would give a human calcium plus vitamin D for 7 days total to see if shells become hard again. If it is not a calcium deficiency, then salpingitis may be the issue. If her weight or diet is the issue, improving that may help. There are hormone implants used by some vets to stop laying.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How is this hen doing? Did the calcium + D3 resolve the soft egg issue, and is she feeling better?