Needing help and advice! Pullet had soft shell egg break inside her!

[chickendreams24]

One of our EE pullets has been having problems laying. I'm not sure if its her first but she has not layed many eggs, if any at all, and last night she had a soft shell egg break inside her while roosting(lucky it was bed check and we saw) today we examined her and could not feel anything but I'm worried. At bed check just now she has another soft shell stuck in her butt down. She will be getting a soak tomorrow to clean it up.

Please help if you've had any experience in these matters. As we are new to chickens this year and I am a very worried Momma. Feel free to PM me any advice would be appreciated. How do I treat her? I will take photos of the soft egg(very small and elongated) if indeed thats what it is and post tomorrow. The first soft egg was little more than membrane but anyway sorry please help if you can.

They are on layer feed and have free choice oyster shell out at all times. I'm really worried Pebbles is our sweetest EE and I've grown attached to her. We call her our little owl because of her beard and muffs. This is my first problem with our girls except a couple freak accidents and I'm very worried. Please help.
Is gathering her the right thing to do?
Should we put her on an antibiotic?

 

[Sonya9]

Since she just started laying personally I wouldn't worry about it. It has happened here, one of my young bantam pullets laid several soft shelled eggs, usually when roosting at night. Those were her first eggs and after a few weeks things became normal so I assume it was simply do to immaturity, she had access to oyster shell and good food. A year later and she is fine now, in fact she has two adolescent chicks running around.


At least if they are soft they aren't likely to get stuck up there.
IMO she will probably grow out of it soon. I would worry if this were a mature hen with a long history of laying OR if this pullet seems otherwise ill.

 

[Akrnaf2]

Reed this article it contains antying you need to know
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention

 

[chickendreams24]

Thank you but she's not egg bound. The bath is a good idea though.

 

[Eggcessive]

It can be common in the first eggs to be shell-less, but just make sure that all are getting layer with which contains more calcium, and most people either place crushed oyster shell in a bowl or feed back crushed egg shells for calcium free choice. When shell-less eggs break inside, though, it can set up an infection that can progress to egg yolk peritonitis in the future.

 

[chickendreams24]

If I give her an antibiotic will that reduce or remove the chance of future eyp?

 

[Sonya9]

If I give her an antibiotic will that reduce or remove the chance of future eyp?

Never give antibiotics unless you believe the bird is truly ill. Soft shelled eggs are very common in new layers.

Do you provide a dish of oyster shell?

 

[chickendreams24]

Yes they always have oyster shell available and are on layer feed of course

 

[chickendreams24]

How do I know when to start them BC she was quite under the weather today. I did soak her BC she had something stuck halfway out her vent. Think it may be the rest of the egg she'll we couldn't find idk.

 

[Eggcessive]

Since she did have an egg break inside her and you saw part of the membrane coming out, I would be inclined to give her either enrofloxacin or penicillin. Enrofloxacin can be purchased online (type enrofloxacin or Baytril sources in the search box at the top of the page.) Procaine penicillin G can be purchased with needles and syringes in the refrigerated medicines at many feed stores. 20 gauge needles are required. If you have a regular vet, you might get some Amoxicillin or other drugs locally.