newly laying pullet squatting and leaking clear fluid - egg issues? other?

[cityeggs]

I have a RSL pullet who's only been laying for just under 2 weeks, and has been laying like clockwork since her first egg - aside from one skipped day where she had a double-yolked large egg, all other days have been cute little solid pullet eggs.

Just now, I went out and she kept squatting in a funny way and leaking clear liquid out her vent (essentially looks like a female dog peeing); in a couple minutes she did this multiple times and looks uncomfortable. She only took a few bites of the scratch I had just put out. I know that production breeds can be prone to reproductive issues - does this sound like what it could be? She's quieter than her usual inquisitive self and not walking tall and upright. I haven't picked her up yet, so I can't tell whether its just her less than upright position but her crop also looks puffed out - haven't checked if it's hard, or just feathers. What do I inspect for? This is my first little flock (hatched in Sept) and this is the first illness/injury I've had to deal with. Thank you!

 

[cityeggs]

I forgot to add - she laid like usual this morning

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I have one hen who squirts butthole water at me if I pick her up when she squats for me. Is it like that?

 

[cityeggs]

I have one hen who squirts butthole water at me if I pick her up when she squats for me. Is it like that?

Nope!

I was watching outside the run and she was walking around inside - she'd walk a few steps, then squat and "pee" and repeat.

 

[cityeggs]

So I've checked on her a few times, palpated her crop and abdomen and around her vent and didn't feel anything hard (crop was pretty empty for late in the day, but felt normal), though I am new to this, so I'm not exactly sure that I'd recognize something out of the ordinary.

When I went out before roost time just now, there was a broken soft-shelled egg near her in the run - she was circling it and pecking at it (the other two were up in the coop already). She's the only one laying so far as far as I know (mornings are crazy at our house, so it's theoretically possible someone else has started, but she's the only one we've seen in the nesting box in the morning and singing the egg song), and with the previous behavior, my best guess is that the egg is hers. I can't tell whether it broke after laying, whether she broke it by poking at it, or whether it's possible it broke inside of her.

If the egg had broken inside of her (forgot the name for that), is there anything I need to do, other than keep an eye on her? Since the egg has passed, does that me the main danger is also past?

Should I give her additional calcium? I have Tums and calcium capsules on hand (I can check which kind - I know they have some calcium citrate in them) - if so, would either of those work? I've been meaning to get my chicken first aid kit together, but haven't gotten to the calcium yet. Or should I wait and see if she has regular eggs after this before worrying? I thought I'd added it but must have forgotten - they don't have layer feed yet (we had an accidental cockerel), so they're getting all flock, but they have access to OS at all times and I've been giving them egg shells as quickly as we use them.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If you're providing all flock and OS, there is no need to switch to layer feed, which could be too much calcium for the cockerel.

As for giving her a Tums, it wouldn't hurt and may help. For better or additional advice, let's ask @Eggcessive and @Wyorp Rock.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sounds like she was having a difficult time passing the soft shelled egg.
I would go ahead and give her extra calcium for a couple of days.

With her being a new layer, hopefully her timing is just off and it's a glitch. I would watch her for a few days.

 

[cityeggs]

If you're providing all flock and OS, there is no need to switch to layer feed, which could be too much calcium for the cockerel.

As for giving her a Tums, it wouldn't hurt and may help. For better or additional advice, let's ask @Eggcessive and @Wyorp Rock.

Thank you!

I wasn't planning to do layer feed until the cockerel was rehomed, which he is .

 

[cityeggs]

Sounds like she was having a difficult time passing the soft shelled egg.
I would go ahead and give her extra calcium for a couple of days.

With her being a new layer, hopefully her timing is just off and it's a glitch. I would watch her for a few days.

Thank you!

How much calcium should I give her, or does it not matter really? I have extra strength Tums - which is 1000mg, or a Cal-Mag (no VitD) that says it's 167mg Calcium (carbonate/citrate/malate) and 83mg magnesium (supposed to take 3 to equal 500mg/250mg).

I've read that you can just give them the whole capsule or tablet - the Tums seem huge for their beaks - is that really true??

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Thank you!

How much calcium should I give her, or does it not matter really? I have extra strength Tums - which is 1000mg, or a Cal-Mag (no VitD) that says it's 167mg Calcium (carbonate/citrate/malate) and 83mg magnesium (supposed to take 3 to equal 500mg/250mg).

I've read that you can just give them the whole capsule or tablet - the Tums seem huge for their beaks - is that really true??

Cut tablet into 1/4s