Laying yolk & white

[Mcmchick]

Hi -
One of my hens has been laying yolks and whites. Its been cold here with winter and snow, her laying slowed down. But then I noticed what looked like someone had literally cracked an egg on my porch. I don't have a picture at the moment, one of animals cleans it up before I can get to it. She had some soft shell eggs inbetween, but otherwise its been the yolk and white now. This has been going on for a couple weeks, the first time it happened I thought an actual egg got cracked and another animal took the shell or something so I brushed it off, she also has a habit of finding new places to lay her eggs in the shed so sometimes it takes me a bit to find her new spot. She has a bit of yolk on her butt feathers, otherwise shes acting completely fine, and her vent looks fine. I took some advice to switch from layer feed to all flock feed with a bowl of oyster shells available, I just started this two days ago. I've read various things - trying cinnamon and oregano tea, picking up an antibiotic, giving calcium and d3 tablet... I'm looking for advice on what to try please!

 

[azygous]

If this keeps up, laying collapsed eggs, this hen is going to have herself a roaring reproductive infection on top of an eventual stuck egg with all the possible complications, including prolapse. So, this should be considered a crisis, or at least a pre-crisis.

She needs a calcium citrate plus D tablet every day until this resolves. The oyster shell isn't enough calcium at this time for this issue. It needs to be around 600mg per day. This is to strengthen her shells and to increase contractions so all egg material lingering in the oviduct can be expelled. She may need to be on it for a week or even two. Once she's laying good eggs again, she can go back to just the oyster shell.

If she doesn't already have bacteria growing in the reproductive tract, there's a risk there will be with all that yolk coming out. It would be a good idea to track down an oral antibiotic such as amoxicillin 250mg just in case.

 

[Mcmchick]

If this keeps up, laying collapsed eggs, this hen is going to have herself a roaring reproductive infection on top of an eventual stuck egg with all the possible complications, including prolapse. So, this should be considered a crisis, or at least a pre-crisis.

She needs a calcium citrate plus D tablet every day until this resolves. The oyster shell isn't enough calcium at this time for this issue. It needs to be around 600mg per day. This is to strengthen her shells and to increase contractions so all egg material lingering in the oviduct can be expelled. She may need to be on it for a week or even two. Once she's laying good eggs again, she can go back to just the oyster shell.

If she doesn't already have bacteria growing in the reproductive tract, there's a risk there will be with all that yolk coming out. It would be a good idea to track down an oral antibiotic such as amoxicillin 250mg just in case.

Thank you so much for the info. How many times a day and for how long would I give the amoxicillin???

 

[azygous]

The dose is 250mg per day for ten days. But if you have the time and energy, breaking that into two doses of 125mg each given one in the morning and the second late in the day is better.

If you find amoxy at Tractor Supply, they only carry 500mg caps. You would need to open them up and divide them anyway. It begins to get more inconvenient, but I figured a way to make it easier after you divide up the doses into loose powder.

I take a bite-size piece of bread and dip it in olive oil. Then I sop up the dose with it, being sure to get every grain. Then, because the powder is very bitter, I sprinkle a little sugar on it. This way, the chicken will eagerly take the dose right from your hand, and the sugar makes it so they will eagerly take future doses, as well.

 

[Mcmchick]

The dose is 250mg per day for ten days. But if you have the time and energy, breaking that into two doses of 125mg each given one in the morning and the second late in the day is better.

If you find amoxy at Tractor Supply, they only carry 500mg caps. You would need to open them up and divide them anyway. It begins to get more inconvenient, but I figured a way to make it easier after you divide up the doses into loose powder.

I take a bite-size piece of bread and dip it in olive oil. Then I sop up the dose with it, being sure to get every grain. Then, because the powder is very bitter, I sprinkle a little sugar on it. This way, the chicken will eagerly take the dose right from your hand, and the sugar makes it so they will eagerly take future doses, as well.

I called tractor supply, agway, etc,. Nothing but penicillin. Can I not use penicillin? I may be able to get some fish amoxicillin online but it won't come for a few days.

 

[azygous]

You can use penicillin. I would get it and start her on it and order the amoxy. These two drugs are very similar and in the same family of drugs. But I have found amoxicillin is more effective for some reason, especially for reproductive infection.

 

[Mcmchick]

You can use penicillin. I would get it and start her on it and order the amoxy. These two drugs are very similar and in the same family of drugs. But I have found amoxicillin is more effective for some reason, especially for reproductive infection.

Okay great, any advice for how to give the calcium tablet?

 

[azygous]

Just pry open her beak and stick the tablet it. She will have no trouble swallowing it. Sometimes, it seems I need a steal pry bar to get a beak open, but once I do get the stubborn chicken's beak open, the rest is easy.

 

[Mcmchick]

Day 6 of calcium tablet, day 4 of amoxicillin, we got an egg! Its funny shaped, not sure if you can tell from the picture its long, but I'll take it! Thanks for the advice.

 

[azygous]

Is the shell normal thickness or thin? If it's normal, you may stop the calcium tablets and let her take care of her daily calcium needs now with just the oyster shell. So glad she's better!