Hen not laying

[chickentim]

Our ~20 month-old Rhode Island Red has recently stopped laying, nearly four days in a row now. We're concerned that she could be egg-bound but 1) are not clear how to tell that's the case and 2) what we can do about it.

She has always been a fairly consistent layer, typically 6-7 days a week. Aside from laying, she has seemed a bit odd, though nothing completely out of the normal. She's been keeping her mouth open a lot, but not all the time and has started doing that more for maybe a month now so doesn't seem like something onset recently. We live in Austin to assuming it may just be heat related. We have seen her sitting down maybe more often than usual, but can't tell if substantially more than usual. She will still get up and walk around when we come over, maybe more lethargically than usual but not clear if we're making it up. Crown seems to look reasonably red and fine.

We also found what looked like two of the soft inner egg casings in her coop (no shells) if relevant.

Other context if relevant: she was originally part of a flock of four RIRs, but the other three have died - two to a possum attack and one to an infected cut, we think from a nail. She's been on her own for about a month now.

Any thoughts on what may be happening and what we can do about it? If egg binding seems a possibility, any suggestions on what to do would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[danielle2003]

Hello, I'm sorry to hear about your three Rhode Island Reds .
The heat could have an important part to play in her not laying. What is the temp. there?
Some egg bound symptoms are usually straining, as if trying to lay an egg, but can't. Watery liquid coming from vent, which is the egg white, if the egg broke inside. Walking funny, as if an egg is stuck. Going to her nest box and not leaving. Does she have any of those symptoms?

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Since you have found a couple of shell-less eggs, she may be having a reproductive problem or is egg bound. Is her tail position up or down? Can you insert a clean finger into her vent to check for a stuck egg? Can you give her a human calcium tablet with vitamin D orally now, or a Tums and a little egg yolk? Just pop the tablet into the back of the beak. What are you feeding? Do you have crushed oyster shell out in a separate container to take as needed?

 

[chickentim]

Thank you both for the thoughts and responses. She does have some of the symptoms you mention (has been laying around, sometimes in her nesting box, a bit more than normal), but not most (no watery liquid discharge, no walking funny, etc.). As for temp, it's been 90-100 in the afternoons, so hot but not insanely so for TX.

As an update, she did lay an egg yesterday, though it didn't have a shell - it was a full egg shape but just the soft membrane around it. Given that, and the fact that she's still alive, I'm guessing that she is likely not egg bound, but perhaps does have a calcium deficiency.

@Eggcessive - to your questions around feed, we're feeding her just layer pellets from our local feed store. We also give her watermelon rinds with some regularity. No calcium tablet, Tums, or crushed oyster shell. I'll look into these options and see how she fairs with some calcium supplement.

I'll re-post if issue persists after adding calcium, but for now feel much more comfortable with the situation. Thanks again for the thoughts and suggestions!

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try giving a calcium tablet with D3 for several days to see if her shells become firm. If it doesn’t help, the problem may be in her shell gland in the oviduct. A shell-less egg can become stuck and is harder to lay.