My 8 year old hen laid a soft shelled egg today- advice needed

[mrskenmore]

Hi All,

My 8 year old barred rock hen Madame Curie was in the nesting box late last night around 5pm working on laying an egg (she still lays great eggs a few times a week) She winded up staying in there when her sisters went to roost, so we placed her on the roost at night around 9 pm. Upon placing her on the roost she had projectile liquid come out from her vent which was pretty clear with no solids.

This morning she was back in the nesting box and laid a soft shelled egg. (I noticed recently that the free choice oyster shells that I provide had run low and just refilled) I took her inside to clean her up and also changed out the nesting pad in the nest box. She seemed a little quiet and lethargic. While I had her over the sink she had more liquid and a soft shell egg fragment came out. I kept her in all morning, fed her scrambled egg which she ate, fresh fruit which she loved and she drank lots of water. I also gave her 1 crushed up calcium pill 1000 mg. After becoming more vocal and having more energy and pooping more solids this morning I have let her back out in her coop with her 3 sisters. She went back up to the nesting box to sit.

Should I be concerned that she went back up to the nesting box? Maybe she has to lay again? Maybe the calcium is working and she is feeling like she needs to lay?

Is there anything else I should or can be doing for her? Should I check her vent this afternoon to make sure nothing else is stuck?

Please let me know your thoughts and what I should do (if anything) next.

Thanks all!

 

[IvysAnimals]

Might be the calcium, the age, or even her health... There can be lots of reasons. I'll try to see if I can get more info for you

 

[Eddie12109]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive

 

[mrskenmore]

Thank you, she left the nesting box and is walking around the coop, still drinking but not interested in feed yet. Her energy and voice are getting back to her normal levels, so I am hopeful that maybe it was a calcium deficiency... I did read that laying a soft shelled egg can take a lot out of them, and I am not sure how much she had to eat or drink yesterday

 

[azygous]

Calcium deficiency won't be apparent until a hen either dies of a heart attack or from egg binding or infection from collapsing eggs inside her.

Your hen is presently showing signs of reproductive crisis. The first clue is sitting in a nest for extended periods without producing anything. The second clue is the collapsed egg remnant. Calcium is necessary in concentrated amounts to produce an elevated calcium blood level to head off sudden death syndrome when an egg hits an undersupplied shell gland or needed a boost to contractions to expel material blocking the oviduct.

I recommend the calcium citrate because it's much easier to digest than oyster shell and it works much, much faster, which is desirable in a crisis. Stick the whole pill right into her beak.

 

[IvysAnimals]

Thank you, she left the nesting box and is walking around the coop, still drinking but not interested in feed yet. Her energy and voice are getting back to her normal levels, so I am hopeful that maybe it was a calcium deficiency... I did read that laying a soft shelled egg can take a lot out of them, and I am not sure how much she had to eat or drink yesterday

Just keep checking up on her and if anything worse happens, take her to a specialized poultry vet or try to give her some vitamins, calcium, minerals,and keep her comfortable! If you have a rooster, maybe try letting her have a break if shes laying soft eggs so she can build the strength she lost from that! If she's sitting on the nest for too long and not laying eggs, she might be egg bound. That's really dangerous! My best advice is to take her to a poultry vet

 

[mrskenmore]

Calcium deficiency won't be apparent until a hen either dies of a heart attack or from egg binding or infection from collapsing eggs inside her.

Your hen is presently showing signs of reproductive crisis. The first clue is sitting in a nest for extended periods without producing anything. The second clue is the collapsed egg remnant. Calcium is necessary in concentrated amounts to produce an elevated calcium blood level to head off sudden death syndrome when an egg hits an undersupplied shell gland or needed a boost to contractions to expel material blocking the oviduct.

I recommend the calcium citrate because it's much easier to digest than oyster shell and it works much, much faster, which is desirable in a crisis. Stick the whole pill right into her beak.

Thank you for your knowledge, I really appreciate it! I had given her a a crushed up calcium pill this morning 1000mg. Should I give her more? Should I get her calcium citrate? let me know what dosage and how many mg would help her get better.

 

[mrskenmore]

Just keep checking up on her and if anything worse happens, take her to a specialized poultry vet or try to give her some vitamins, calcium, minerals,and keep her comfortable! If you have a rooster, maybe try letting her have a break if shes laying soft eggs so she can build the strength she lost from that! If she's sitting on the nest for too long and not laying eggs, she might be egg bound. That's really dangerous! My best advice is to take her to a poultry vet

Thank you! I am letting her rest in her coop with her sisters (who are all very nice) we do not have a rooster, so she is comfortable and hopefully recovering from this morning. She is no longer in the nest box, she left and is walking, sitting and standing. I hope she starts eating on her own soon, but she is drinking on her own. I will continue to monitor the situation.

 

[IvysAnimals]

Thank you! I am letting her rest in her coop with her sisters (who are all very nice) we do not have a rooster, so she is comfortable and hopefully recovering from this morning. She is no longer in the nest box, she left and is walking, sitting and standing. I hope she starts eating on her own soon, but she is drinking on her own. I will continue to monitor the situation.

Sounds like shes feeling better which is great!

 

[mrskenmore]

Thank you! I am letting her rest in her coop with her sisters (who are all very nice) we do not have a rooster, so she is comfortable and hopefully recovering from this morning.

Sounds like shes feeling better which is great!

Thank you- I want to go run out and get her calcium citrate - giving her another pill this afternoon can't hurt.