Need help! Egg laying problem!

[chickiegrrl]

Our Black Australorp, Flora had problems laying today. I found this on the poop board:

The brown egg was fine, whole, no cracks or problems. As you can see there was another egg passed as well. I pulled this out of her bottom:


It was stuck inside her and only the part near my thumb, probably 1/2" was sticking out. I gently pulled it and it came right out.

When Flora came out of the run, I noticed that she was standing with her tail up and wasn't moving. I saw what was going on and rushed her inside. I pulled the wrinkled shell out of her and went to see what was in the coop. That's when I found what was on the poop board. She is about 18 weeks old, so her body is still getting used to laying. She has laid a couple of soft shell eggs before, but nothing like this! When she's out with the girls she just kind of wanders aimlessly and doesn't forage, which is weird for her. We brought her in and have her in a dark, quiet area. She is eating layer pellets that I've added some warm water and mashed up. She's also drinking water with Poultry Drench added. Should I be worried about anything else? Does she need antibiotics? BTW, the girls were wormed for Giardia Wed-Monday last week, so we're on egg withdrawal. Could this be causing her problems? She eats Layena and has oyster shell available at all times.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm really worried about our sweet girl!! Thank you!

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Sometimes hens that are new to the laying experience will lay abnormal eggs. Just continue to provide oyster shell, and hopefully it will be gone in a couple weeks. She probably just couldn't pass the soft shell entirely out, so it ended up partially in.

 

[chickiegrrl]

Thank you! I just worry because she's all puffed up, standing in the box half-sleeping. She hasn't pooped since I pulled the shell out. Her tail is down, too. She just looks not-so-great.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Another abnormality in eggs can be an egg that is too large or misshapen to pass. From what I've heard and read, those are symptoms of a condition known as "egg binding". You might be able to feel the egg if you place your hand back there gently.

 

[chickiegrrl]

I did check her abdomen and back toward her vent. I don't feel anything abnormal. It just feels like a soft abdomen.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

I would continue with the Poultry Drench then. Hopefully she'll get better. Has she been eating and drinking normal?

 

[chickiegrrl]

She ate a few bites of the mash and she has had a little of the water with Nutri-Drench. Her comb is paler than normal and she's standing with her tail flat.

 

[chickiegrrl]

Should I be worried since the egg broke while inside her? Could she get an infection from that?

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Well, sometimes hens lay a shell-less egg, so I wouldn't be concerned about her getting an infection from the yolk. If the shell was soft enough, then it shouldn't have hurt her much. Did it have any semi-hard spots on it or was it basically like a piece of cloth?

She is starting to sound like a roo I had. He didn't eat or drink much and was tired. His comb was also pale. I don't know what he had, but you might want to consider taking your hen to the vet to get an expert's opinion.

 

[casportpony]

Should I be worried since the egg broke while inside her? Could she get an infection from that?

Yes, she could get an infection.

-Kathy