Lethargic chicken laid this

[JanetRN1]

I have a 6 month old chicken who’s been laying since March. Everything was fine. Today when I got home I found her a bit lethargic, tail down and acting almost confused. I thought she might be getting ready to lay.
I went back to check on her about 30 minutes later and found her pecking at this in their run (see picture) It looks like a deflated ballon (it’s not) it’s soft with no material inside
She still seems a lethargic and “dazed”. I have nutridrench and poultry cell. Should I give her some? She’s not even interested in mealworms. What’s happening?

 

[JanetRN1]

Update: it looks like she passed the test of the shell and the contents. It was an soft, rubbery egg. And she seems to be perking up now.
Is there a way to avoid this? They have oyster shells available at all times. Could she have passed 2? Of 6 chickens, I’ve only gotten 2 eggs the last few days, but everyone seems fine!

 

[townchicks]

Looks like a soft shell egg, I would give her a calcium supplement asap. Best is calcium citrate with vit D, you can get that at pretty much any grocery or pharmacy. In a pinch, you can give her a tums, until you can get the other. Open her beak and pop it in, she'll swallow it.

 

[MarlaMac]

Is it a soft-shelled egg material? Have you checked her vent to make sure there is no egg matter leaking out? If an egg broken inside her before it was laid, that can cause Egg Yolk Peritonitis. An infection that can lead to death.

Do you know if all the material is out? I have seen several things list on this sight to help a hen with this. First is a calcium citrate tablet - one a day for a few days to help her contract and push all the matter out. If the yolk broke inside it is best to start her on antibiotics. 250mg 2x daily for a standard sized chicken. You can look up dosing on this site if you have smaller chickens. Amoxicillin is usually the drug of choice for this.

I hope she recovers fully.

 

[JanetRN1]

Thank you. Her vent looks clean now and she has bounced right back. Eating, drinking, running away from me (lol). Her comb even looks better.
I will definitely keep an eye on her. By the time I got back to her, she had passed it and they were eating it. I didn’t see a yolk, just what was left of the clear stuff, or the egg white.
Could this just be a fluke for a young chicken who just started laying? I’m hoping it is!

 

[MarlaMac]

Could be. Keeping an eye on her is a good plan.

 

[townchicks]

Young pullets just starting laying can have some glitches. Usually things settle down after a bit.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try giving her the human calcium citrate with D3 tablet orally daily for up to 7 days. Soft shells can be difficult to lay and cause egg binding and weakness. They can break inside which may lead to infection. Walmart sells the Equate brand for about $8. Tums or other calcium may be used in a pinch.