Is this an internal layer??

[Three Little Bunnies]

Hi!

I've got a White Leghorn hen, about a year and a half old, who has been laying odd eggs for about a month now. Sometimes they're shell-less, sometimes fairy eggs, sometimes oddly shaped, and she hasn't been roosting this last week. She seems pretty heavy for a Leghorn, but I don't know if she's overweight or if it's some other issue. Still going at food with extreme enthusiasm. I noticed today that her abdomen seems pretty swollen. The last egg of hers I saw was broken under the roost about two days ago. I'm not sure what's going on with her, but I'm about to leave for a week and need some advice. Could it be that she's laying internally? Another reproductive issue? Her sister hen (same age and breed) hasn't had any issues.

Thanks!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I would give her some Calcium Citrate +D3 tablets every day for 5 to 7 days to help with the shell-less and soft-shell eggs. Give them to her at night on the roost so you don't have to chase her and just pop them into her beak, she won't have any trouble swallowing it. You can get them in the vitamin/ supplement section of any grocery or pharmacy.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do you provide oyster shell in a separate vessel available 24/7? They need that for making strong, healthy shells.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Do you provide oyster shell in a separate vessel available 24/7? They need that for making strong, healthy shells.

Thank you for your replies! I do, and we also crush eggshells for them. This hen and her sister are usually fighting over the eggshells - maybe another sign that she needs more calcium.

I would give her some Calcium Citrate +D3 tablets every day for 5 to 7 days to help with the shell-less and soft-shell eggs. Give them to her at night on the roost so you don't have to chase her and just pop them into her beak, she won't have any trouble swallowing it. You can get them in the vitamin/ supplement section of any grocery or pharmacy.

I'll be out of town for the next week... Hopefully the hen will be alright with oyster shell until I get back.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do you have a chicken sitter? Would they be willing to stuff a pill into her beak every night? If not, it can wait till you get back.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

So after a week, the hen is still alive. She's still eating and drinking fairly enthusiastically, she's had a couple calcium citrate pills, she can still poop, but today she's waddling around badly. Her abdomen is still very swollen, I last found one of her eggs (broken) two nights ago, and there was a fairly large worm in her poop. I'm still not sure what's going on. Any more ideas?