How many would cull a hen with a defective shell gland?

[A.T. Hagan]

There is no right or wrong here. Only your personal feelings on the matter as to what you want from your birds.

I personally would cull her once I was certain as in she'd laid a half-dozen or so shelless eggs but that's me. Another person could decide differently.

 

[dichotomymom]

I would cull. It can mean a dead bird in some cases and I'm not raising pets but if you can find someone that just wants a chicken, you could always go that route.

 

[gritsar]

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One of my favorite things to do....

On the rare occasions that I get a dirty egg I give it to the dogs to play with. I have been amazed that our GSDs can play with a (hard shelled) egg for up to 30 minutes or more before they finally break it and eat it. I don't worry about the dogs getting in the coops to eat eggs since they don't have access to the coops. The last couple of times I have collected soft shelled eggs from Ellie I have given them to the dogs. Why?






Because I love the look on the dogs faces when they gently take the egg expecting to have something to play with and it immediately pops in their mouth.

 

[gritsar]

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Kinda like what happened with my buff brahma hen that had egg peritonitis. It was hard trying to decide to cull or her not, especially because it's so hard to judge whether a chicken is in pain or not. She passed without my intervention, but she had a good life right up until the end so I don't regret not culling her at the start.

 

[speckledhen]

I've never presume to tell you what to do with your bird in this case, since she isn't technically ill at this point, just malfunctioning. I know how hard it is sometimes to know what to do and when to do it, if you do decide.

 

[Uzuri]

Lots of good answers here -- the only other thing I'd watch out for is that sometimes those shellless eggs encourage your "normal" chickens to experiment with EATING eggs. Then you've got a whole flock of freeloaders with a problem that's very hard to stop. But that only calls for being watchful, at this point.

 

[welasharon]

I've got a little silkie that seems to have a neurological issue. When she rests her head "drifts" and she has to pull it back to correct it. She grew very slow and now at a good year old has never laid an egg and does not squat for the rooster. I am keeping her but I do not depend on my chickens for eggs nor meat and I have a second job that pays for my chickens or I would have to do differently. If she pleases you and you can afford to...let her be!

 

[colebarnhart]

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[gritsar]

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I know you've been down this road before with your own chickens. Sometimes I think it would be easier if the little boogers didn't worm their way into your heart.

 

[gritsar]

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Ellie is weird bird too. Squats for me, won't squat for a rooster. Lives on the outskirts of her flock. The only action I am taking at the present time is to be sure and collect up her eggs quickly. Not too hard to do since I am home full time and she doesn't lay that often. When I see her headed to the coop I keep an eye out for her jelly egg.