only yolk and blood clot after soaking in epson salt

[nellynel]

One of my california Whites seems egg bound so I soaked her in luke warm water with epson salt for 15 mins and then let her relax in our bathroom. 15 mins after the soak she laid only a yolk and big blood clot. Anyone else experiencer this?

Since this happened I have seen her lay two soft eggs with egg white included.

Any ideas? or help for future issues? She seems to be ok.

 

[Michael Apple]

Sometimes a vitamin A deficiency can cause it, sometimes it is hereditary, and sometimes the result of unclean vaccination procedures. A hen just maturing and starting to produce may produce too many eggs at once in the shell producing area of the oviduct. Here is a better explanation:
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...em/defective_or_abnormal_eggs_in_poultry.html
How old is the hen?

 

[nellynel]

She is a little over two.

 

[Michael Apple]

She is a little over two.

Okay. All you could do at this point is supplement water 3 x a week with vitamins-electrolytes. Dawes produces good water dispersible poultry supplements. Probios dispersible powder is also a valuable supplement 1-2 x a week (can be use with vitamin supplements which do not contain probiotics). Try to keep the bird healthy if you don't want to cull her. She is likely prone to internal laying, but can still live a good life and possibly become a good layer. I have had hens produce soft shell eggs, and eventually start producing excellent quality eggs. That is not a good sign to see that much blood though. There are some "high energy layer" rations out there which I believe do more harm than good, and wouldn't recommend them since I have used them. A 16 %, good quality lay ration is reasonable for a 2 year old hen. Here is an example of organic ingredients in the ration I use:
Ingredients : Organic corn, organic soybean meal, organic peas, limestone, organic wheat, organic stabilized rice bran, organic sun-dried alfalfa, organic flaxseed, Redmond conditioner (clay), organic kelp meal, monocalcium phosphate, Zeolite, Redmond salt, DL Methionine, poultry vitamin & mineral premix, organic garlic granules, organic horseradish powder, organic star anise oil, organic juniper berry oil

Supplementing animal protein like whey or buttermilk in conservative amounts are beneficial to chickens. 1 to 2 times a week is good enough to me, plus that which they find on range. Deworm birds that appear to lose weight or have loose or watery droppings for more than a few day. You may find yourself doing it 1-2 times a year at the least. The best time to deworm is before moult and before breeding season.

 

[nellynel]

Thank you.

She has always laid soft eggs from time to time.