Hen appears to be dropping internally broken egg shell followed by yolk from roosting bar at night.

[4FeatheredFriends]

My almost 2 year old Mystic Onyx hen, who up until now has been "Head Bird" in our tiny 4 hen flock, started having issues with broken shells and yolk being passed at night from the roosting bar. I have the impression they are not being passed simultaneously, as the shell is often in a different spot than what is left (unformed...yolk/albumen). I thought it might be due to calcium or vitamin D deficiency. So, I have been putting oyster shell directly into the feed, baking and crushing egg shells and feeding it to them in mashed banana, and giving them some cottage cheese. This week I also put 3 drops of vitamin D forte into their waterers...
My husband noticed that Onyx wasn't on the top roosting bar as usual last night, but was in the nest box...This morning she is walking extremely slow, drinking water but not eating, and her comb is drooping. Her abdomen is extremely distended, and backside is covered with milky white / yellowish drainage. There were no egg remnants in the cage this morning.
The egg issue started about 3 weeks to a month ago, but she was molting, and I thought it was because she was nutrient deficient trying to regrow feathers...
I have been researching, and am worried it may be peritonitis? Do I soak her in an Epsom salt bath? I have seen mixed advice on that subject. She is not a fan of being handled so it is hard to examine her on my own. Will have the hubby help tonight, but I suspect her crop may be full this morning. Not sure if she ate in the coop before I went out. She usually runs to the refilled pans in the morning...Bosses everyone else out of her way and gets first dibs on the food. She is just standing and moving slowly today...The others keep going to check on her...They can tell something is wrong.

 

[CabritaChicks]

Sorry this is happening. This doesn’t read like a simple calcium or vitamin D issue. But you did say 'cage' do they have access to vit D?.

The pattern you described—soft/broken shells, yolk and whites not coming out separately, and now a swollen abdomen, lethargy, droopy comb, and that yellowish discharge—fits much more with egg yolk peritonitis or internal laying.

At that point, it’s not about “not enough calcium”—it’s that the reproductive tract isn’t functioning correctly, and yolk material is ending up where it shouldn’t. Once they reach this stage, they can decline pretty quickly without treatment. Other will chime in for sure.

A couple quick notes:

• I would skip the Epsom salt bath—this isn’t behaving like a straightforward egg-binding case, and it won’t fix internal laying.
• The calcium support you added (oyster shell, eggshells) is fine but should be free fed as if it is in feed (what brand?) then it cant be controlled, but cottage cheese isn’t appropriate—chickens don’t handle dairy well, and it won’t help this condition.
• Right now, keeping her quiet, warm, and hydrated is about all you can do at home while figuring out next steps.

If a vet is an option, that’s honestly the best move. Typical treatment for this kind of case IMO includes broad-spectrum antibiotics—commonly things like enrofloxacin (Baytril), amoxicillin, or oxytetracycline—along with anti-inflammatories and supportive care. This is often a bacterial complication secondary to yolk material in the abdomen. You didnt mention the droppings if I recall? What do they look like? Then supportive care.

If you can, post a few pictures:

• Her stance and posture (side view)
• Abdomen (how distended it looks)
• Vent area/discharge
• Droppings

Those things tell a big story.

 

[4FeatheredFriends]

Sorry this is happening. This doesn’t read like a simple calcium or vitamin D issue. But you did say 'cage' do they have access to vit D?.

The pattern you described—soft/broken shells, yolk and whites not coming out separately, and now a swollen abdomen, lethargy, droopy comb, and that yellowish discharge—fits much more with egg yolk peritonitis or internal laying.

At that point, it’s not about “not enough calcium”—it’s that the reproductive tract isn’t functioning correctly, and yolk material is ending up where it shouldn’t. Once they reach this stage, they can decline pretty quickly without treatment. Other will chime in for sure.

A couple quick notes:

• I would skip the Epsom salt bath—this isn’t behaving like a straightforward egg-binding case, and it won’t fix internal laying.
• The calcium support you added (oyster shell, eggshells) is fine but should be free fed as if it is in feed (what brand?) then it cant be controlled, but cottage cheese isn’t appropriate—chickens don’t handle dairy well, and it won’t help this condition.
• Right now, keeping her quiet, warm, and hydrated is about all you can do at home while figuring out next steps.

If a vet is an option, that’s honestly the best move. Typical treatment for this kind of case IMO includes broad-spectrum antibiotics—commonly things like enrofloxacin (Baytril), amoxicillin, or oxytetracycline—along with anti-inflammatories and supportive care. This is often a bacterial complication secondary to yolk material in the abdomen. You didnt mention the droppings if I recall? What do they look like? Then supportive care.

If you can, post a few pictures:

• Her stance and posture (side view)
• Abdomen (how distended it looks)
• Vent area/discharge
• Droppings

Those things tell a big story.

 

[4FeatheredFriends]

I just found the leathery egg skin outside of the coop. Not sure when that happened. I have been finding smashed up shells under the roost in the coop.
You can see she was passing feces with what IMO looks like egg remnants ...
I am hoping for treatments I can do myself. I recently had to take a 6 month leave of absence from work, in order to bring my 102 yr old mom home, for end of life care. I can't justify a huge vet bill at this time.
The girls have free run of our back yard. They only go in the coop at night or when they want to lay an egg. So plenty of sun exposure.
We feed Scratch and Peck 18% mash and pellets. They get mealworms daily, and fruit, veggie, herbs snacks once a day. It varies daily...I only did the cottage cheese a few times ... It was recommended in a blog I read. It is not a regular part of their diet. She is walking a bit better now... She appeared more swollen this morning.

 

[CabritaChicks]

I just found the leathery egg skin outside of the coop. Not sure when that happened. I have been finding smashed up shells under the roost in the coop.
You can see she was passing feces with what IMO looks like egg remnants ...
I am hoping for treatments I can do myself. I recently had to take a 6 month leave of absence from work, in order to bring my 102 yr old mom home, for end of life care. I can't justify a huge vet bill at this time.
The girls have free run of our back yard. They only go in the coop at night or when they want to lay an egg. So plenty of sun exposure.
We feed Scratch and Peck 18% mash and pellets. They get mealworms daily, and fruit, veggie, herbs snacks once a day. It varies daily...I only did the cottage cheese a few times ... It was recommended in a blog I read. It is not a regular part of their diet. She is walking a bit better now... She appeared more swollen this morning.

Your setup seems awesome as far as the enclosure is concerned.
How is she doing this morning?

It’s possible this started as a lash egg, but it doesn’t really fit the full picture anymore IMO. Lash eggs can cause odd, malformed material and some discharge, but they’re usually more of a localized oviduct issue.

What stands out here is the progression—weeks of shell problems and improper egg formation followed by a distended abdomen, lethargy, drooping comb (but hey- those combs keep growing, and may flop a bit), and ongoing discharge in her derriere. That shift suggests it may have moved beyond a simple lash egg into something more systemic, like internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis. Typically, with a lash egg, you’ll see a firm, rubbery mass passed and sometimes a bit of improvement afterward, but in this case she’s declining instead. So while a lash egg could have been part of the early problem, it’s unlikely to explain what’s happening now, and I wouldn’t treat this as “just” that.

And I say this gently, because I know you’re clearly trying to help her—if the main feed is scratch, I did take a quick look at that brand and would at least question whether she’s been getting fully balanced nutrition over time as there is s significiantly organ function required to even break scratch up. Scratch alone can leave hens short on key nutrients needed for proper egg formation, so there could be a background of malnourishment/over supplimentation contributing to how this started, even if it’s not the main issue now. I would remove the scratch- and just feed layer pellets.

You said it was your first chickens, I completely understand. My first set of chickens were princesses, spoiled rotten. Unfortunately their life was cut short by humans and canines. But they never had any medical issues (other than fowl pox from mosquitos and one chicken was skinned from another chicken- but is now a beautiful Opal Legbar blue egg layer and the sweetest girl!!).

Have you thought about putting her in a hospital cage? Makes them easier to treat and control and medication given. You can find many medications online (depending on your location), at farm supply or even those for pigeons, just ensure the dosage is correct.

But im curious how she is doing today?

 

[kattabelly]

And I say this gently, because I know you’re clearly trying to help her—if the main feed is scratch, I did take a quick look at that brand and would at least question whether she’s been getting fully balanced nutrition over time as there is s significiantly organ function required to even break scratch up. Scratch alone can leave hens short on key nutrients needed for proper egg formation, so there could be a background of malnourishment/over supplimentation contributing to how this started, even if it’s not the main issue now. I would remove the scratch- and just feed layer pellets.

I think Scratch & Peck is the name of the brand and they're feeding a combination of the 18% protein versions of that brand's mash and pellets; presumably the higher calcium ones for layers.

 

[CabritaChicks]

I think Scratch & Peck is the name of the brand and they're feeding a combination of the 18% protein versions of that brand's mash and pellets; presumably the higher calcium ones for layers.

Yes, I saw that—but what I’m seeing is basically a whole-grain scratch mix with powdered supplements sprinkled in… and powders don’t exactly cling to scratch very well. Pellets, on the other hand, have everything built in, so every bite is actually nutritionally complete instead of a “hope for the best” situation.

I specialize in parrots, song birds- and unfortuntely recently waterfowl (ugh), but the concept carries over. When you add supplements to whole foods, a lot of it ends up dusting off or settling to the bottom, and then you’re relying on the animal to eat all of it evenly—which, let’s be honest, is about as reliable as expecting kids to eat their vegetables before dessert. They pick, they sort, they make executive decisions… and suddenly the “balanced diet” is just the tasty bits.

That said, at this stage I really do think medication is going to be necessary. Hopefully this gets bumped so others can weigh in too—I’m a bit limited on sourcing since most retail sites are blocked where I am, so I order everything in bulk through a distributor for the clinic.

 

[kattabelly]

Yes, I saw that—but what I’m seeing is basically a whole-grain scratch mix with powdered supplements sprinkled in… and powders don’t exactly cling to scratch very well. Pellets, on the other hand, have everything built in, so every bite is actually nutritionally complete instead of a “hope for the best” situation.

Right, I forgot "mash" seems to mean something else in other places. Here I'd expect it to be a similar consistency to chick crumb, maybe a bit chunkier.

Apologies for the thread derail.

The only other useful thing I can think of to mention is that some people have had success with hormonal implants to stop a hen with chronic reproductive issues from laying. Possibly something to explore if OP is in an area with a vet who'd be willing to fit one, and if the cost isn't prohibitive.

 

[4FeatheredFriends]

I think Scratch & Peck is the name of the brand and they're feeding a combination of the 18% protein versions of that brand's mash and pellets; presumably the higher calcium ones for layers.

Yes, that is correct.

 

[4FeatheredFriends]

Your setup seems awesome as far as the enclosure is concerned.
How is she doing this morning?

It’s possible this started as a lash egg, but it doesn’t really fit the full picture anymore IMO. Lash eggs can cause odd, malformed material and some discharge, but they’re usually more of a localized oviduct issue.

What stands out here is the progression—weeks of shell problems and improper egg formation followed by a distended abdomen, lethargy, drooping comb (but hey- those combs keep growing, and may flop a bit), and ongoing discharge in her derriere. That shift suggests it may have moved beyond a simple lash egg into something more systemic, like internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis. Typically, with a lash egg, you’ll see a firm, rubbery mass passed and sometimes a bit of improvement afterward, but in this case she’s declining instead. So while a lash egg could have been part of the early problem, it’s unlikely to explain what’s happening now, and I wouldn’t treat this as “just” that.

And I say this gently, because I know you’re clearly trying to help her—if the main feed is scratch, I did take a quick look at that brand and would at least question whether she’s been getting fully balanced nutrition over time as there is s significiantly organ function required to even break scratch up. Scratch alone can leave hens short on key nutrients needed for proper egg formation, so there could be a background of malnourishment/over supplimentation contributing to how this started, even if it’s not the main issue now. I would remove the scratch- and just feed layer pellets.

You said it was your first chickens, I completely understand. My first set of chickens were princesses, spoiled rotten. Unfortunately their life was cut short by humans and canines. But they never had any medical issues (other than fowl pox from mosquitos and one chicken was skinned from another chicken- but is now a beautiful Opal Legbar blue egg layer and the sweetest girl!!).

Have you thought about putting her in a hospital cage? Makes them easier to treat and control and medication given. You can find many medications online (depending on your location), at farm supply or even those for pigeons, just ensure the dosage is correct.

But im curious how she is doing today?

Good morning. I thank you for your continued insight. We live in Tampa, FL, and these girls run around the yard all day catching bugs, frogs, and lizards. I apologize for the confusion re: feed. The brand I use is called Scratch and Peck, but they are eating the 18% layer mash and 18% pellets. They have access to oyster shells but largely ignore them. I also add whole sunflower seeds to their grain and meal worms. They are spoiled little ladies, and I give them fresh fruit/ veggies/ herbs in the evening for "snack".
I feel like they are pretty well supported nutritionally, and Onyx is the top bird in our flock...She bullies everyone out of the way and eats first and as much as she wants.
She has been an excellent layer, almost daily, up until her first molt this winter. Then this started, and I am not sure I fully understand what is happening.
Is the internal laying caused by poor nutrition? Parasites? Bad Genes? How do you switch from being a healthy, prolific layer to our current state of affairs? And you mentioned antibiotics...Will that fix her? Or is this a permenent change to her reproductive system? I saw the comment about an implant to stop her from laying....That makes me think this is never going to get better?
On a good note, she is eating, drinking and bullying the others like normal...But still having the discharge. Found yolk under the roosting bar this morning.