Internal egg break. Should I flush vent?

[shiningeyes]

I have a hen who has been laying broken eggs for a little while. Cracked at first then yesterday one broke as it was being laid and today I'm pretty sure one broke inside her. The shells did not seem super thin and so I'm pretty sure it broke and wasn't shell-less. There was no membrane in the nest box just yolk and white. And yolk different places in the coop. She seemed ok, but tonight seems like she may be feeling down. So my question is-should I definitely water or water/vinegar flush? Is this always recommended? I did soak her in the sink which she seemed to like, and lubed her vent. But I also haven't inspected inside her vent. I don't know if I could do more damage this way and I also read you can "go the wrong way" when inspecting and I'm not sure which is the right way. I'd love some advice from anyone whose gone through this. I'm obviously super worried about her. TIA!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

That's a tough call.

It's possible she or another hen ate the broken shell or there was a membrane that was consumed before you detected there was a problem.

Personally, I would not flush, it would risk flushing egg matter back up the oviduct and possibly introducing bacteria.

She may have egg yolk/matter still working it's way out. This seems to make them not feel well. Of course egg shell that is broken inside would produce the same feeling.

You can gently feel inside the vent about 1inch to see if you feel any shell.

I have a hen that lays soft shells and lot of times they are broken and she has the membrane hanging out - the hens battle for it She obviously doesn't feel well afterward. If she is lethargic or a mess, I soak her then dose her with Nutri-Drench and extra calcium - usually a finely crushed TUMS sprinkled over scrambled/hard boiled egg. So far she has expelled the membrane and bounced back, but I do know it's a matter of time for her that she will eventually not bounce back.

Give your girl some extra vitamins, calcium and see that's she drinking well. Soaking in epsom salts sometimes gets things moving.

Just my thoughts. Keep us posted.

 

[shiningeyes]

That's a tough call.

It's possible she or another hen ate the broken shell or there was a membrane that was consumed before you detected there was a problem.

Personally, I would not flush, it would risk flushing egg matter back up the oviduct and possibly introducing bacteria.

She may have egg yolk/matter still working it's way out. This seems to make them not feel well. Of course egg shell that is broken inside would produce the same feeling.

You can gently feel inside the vent about 1inch to see if you feel any shell.

I have a hen that lays soft shells and lot of times they are broken and she has the membrane hanging out - the hens battle for it She obviously doesn't feel well afterward. If she is lethargic or a mess, I soak her then dose her with Nutri-Drench and extra calcium - usually a finely crushed TUMS sprinkled over scrambled/hard boiled egg. So far she has expelled the membrane and bounced back, but I do know it's a matter of time for her that she will eventually not bounce back.

Give your girl some extra vitamins, calcium and see that's she drinking well. Soaking in epsom salts sometimes gets things moving.

Just my thoughts. Keep us posted.

Thank you so much for responding. I do know there was no eggshell or membrane expelled only because I watched her come out of the nest box and checked immediately (I had been waiting for her to exit so I could do my daily clean). I think I will give her an epsom salt bath tomorrow. How much do you usually put in? I also gave her some calcium gulconate and will give her some again tomorrow. I am sad knowing that this may be an ongoing problem for her and she will eventually succumb. She is my favorite and her and my 4.5yo daughter have an extremely special bond so this is a bit heartbreaking for us. I will hold off on the flush and maybe check in the morning to see if I can feel anything. Do you know if there is a certain direction to go? Up, down, straight back? Thanks again. It's always comforting (though sad) to know I'm not the only one and I appreciate the advice on the flushing.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she doing?

OK, that clarifies things a bit. Yes, if you were there watching, then the membrane or shell is somewhere. Hopefully she will expel it.

When checking you would go slightly up.

I do hope with extra calcium and vitamins your girl will bounce back and have no further problems.

Of course it has to be a favorite Mine as well...she is such a sweetheart, but I suppose that's the way life is. The thing is, if your girl bounces back, she may go a long time without any more problems, then have some more glitches, you never know.

Lucy is still doing very well most days, so I just keep an eye on her. Knowing that she may go downhill quickly does make it sad, but in a way a little easier as well since I can prepare myself for what's to come.

Let me know how she's doing.

 

[shiningeyes]

How is she doing?

OK, that clarifies things a bit. Yes, if you were there watching, then the membrane or shell is somewhere. Hopefully she will expel it.

When checking you would go slightly up.

I do hope with extra calcium and vitamins your girl will bounce back and have no further problems.

Of course it has to be a favorite Mine as well...she is such a sweetheart, but I suppose that's the way life is. The thing is, if your girl bounces back, she may go a long time without any more problems, then have some more glitches, you never know.

Lucy is still doing very well most days, so I just keep an eye on her. Knowing that she may go downhill quickly does make it sad, but in a way a little easier as well since I can prepare myself for what's to come.

Let me know how she's doing.

Well, she seems to be doing ok this morning. I went out a few minutes ago and found a broken egg in the run-though I can't tell if it broke when it was laid or they pecked it. Unfortunately, it looks like it may have been pecked at but it wasn't all eaten up so that's a good sign! Just don't want to start an egg eating habit here! I can tell it was hers by the shape. It did have a very thin shell but there was one. I didn't find any other egg shell anywhere so I'm not sure if there really just was no shell or membrane on her egg yesterday or if it's possible for another egg to pass while still retaining shell in the oviduct? Maybe I should still check...I don't know. I don't want to stress her out more than necessary.

I haven't witnessed her eating any pellets yet but she's eating everything else. They keep picking the nectarines off my tree, silly girls. I gave them some oatmeal mixed with an egg and some liquid calcium since one of my other girls seems to have thin shells so I figured it couldn't hurt for them all to get a boost.

I'm so sorry yours is a favorite as well. My daughter keeps asking why it couldn't be our lead hen. We call her mean ol' nelly peck hen (though her real name is Eagle) because she so bossy I wouldn't wish this on any of them though, obviously. I'm glad to hear you have been able to deal with your girls issue. It gives me hope that even if it becomes an ongoing problem we may be able to manage. I am grateful for this conversation, thank you so much for respondingI hope all continues to go well for Lucy. I'm sure I'll think of her every time I go check on my girl now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad to hear she seems to be doing better and laid an egg today.
I think if she had broken shell or membrane in there from the previous day, it would either have been pushed out or she would have had a very time with this egg today or be very ill.

Why eat pellets when nectarines are so handy

Giving extra calcium for a while won't hurt. I hope she continues to recover and do well.
Thanks for the update and hug!