Paper like substance came out of vent

[Clairenh]

Our youngest of 3, Rosie, started acting listless today. She laid her first egg a few days ago. Today she spent a lot of time standing still instead of roaming around our yard. We felt her to see if maybe she was egg bound, but couldn't feel anything. She seems to be drinking a lot of water. Later in the evening I went out and my boyfriend said he saw what looked like a piece of paper in the run. Then he saw a piece hanging out of her vent. He removed it, and checked her vent which looked ok. I don't think it is anything she ate, but possibly unformed eggs? It seems a bit like thick egg membrane. We got three pullets (Red Sex Links) on August 24. We have grown to love them so much, and would hate to lose one. Here is a picture of what came out of her vent.

 

[coach723]

Hard to tell looking through plastic, but it looks like a soft shelled or malformed egg. Those can be hard to pass and can make them feel unwell. Since she is a new layer this may just be a glitch as her body gets used to the new job of laying eggs, and it will rectify as her body gets it figured out. I would keep an eye on her and see how the next one goes. Glitches are not uncommon in birds coming into lay. Make sure you have oyster shell available to them all the time in a separate feeder so they can take it if needed for calcium. Needs can vary bird to bird. Hopefully she will look perkier tomorrow.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, I agree that she may have laid a shell-less egg or just a membrane. Do they have crushed oyster shell and layer feed available to them. Hopefully, this is just a one time thing, but keep track of how she is laying and getting along. I had a buff orpington that had an egg membrane hanging out of her vent, and she later died of a reproductive disorder a year later.

 

[Clairenh]

Thank you! They do have crushed oyster shells that I also added clean and crushed eggs shells to, and yes their only feed is layer feed. We have been letting them free range our yard pretty much all day every day, so maybe she was eating to much while ranging and not enough regular feed. We will keep them all in the run for the day so she can only eat feed and oysters. Eggcessive, I am sorry to hear that you lost your girl. :-(

Edit: We just let them out for the morning and Rosie seemed well, scampering out to the feeder with her sisters. I felt her crop just to be sure it wasn't impacted, and it felt empty. Hopefully a few days of straight feed and oysters will help her out.

 

[Clairenh]

She is still laying shell-less eggs, about every other day. The other girls are laying perfect eggs, and all three eat the same thing. We started mixing some feed with water just for her in case she wasn't getting enough, though her crop feels full every evening.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is still laying shell-less eggs, about every other day. The other girls are laying perfect eggs, and all three eat the same thing. We started mixing some feed with water just for her in case she wasn't getting enough, though her crop feels full every evening.

She may have a shell gland defect, it would be hard to know.

You can try offering her extra calcium to see if she shows improvement. Give her 1/2tablet of human calcium like Caltrate for 5-7days.

 

[Clairenh]

She laid a perfect egg yesterday and today! Woohoo!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She laid a perfect egg yesterday and today! Woohoo!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

She is still laying shell-less eggs, about every other day. The other girls are laying perfect eggs, and all three eat the same thing. We started mixing some feed with water just for her in case she wasn't getting enough, though her crop feels full every evening.

I also have a new layer that just started laying eggs about 3 1/2 weeks ago and she lays shelless eggs often and also gets yolk and egg white coming out of her vent. I have started giving her one tums that I break up in about 4 pieces and that way she lays normal eggs for about a week before she starts laying shelless eggs again. I am hoping that it will straighten out but I also have to make sure that her vent area keeps clean, so I give her a lot of baths and blow dries.

 

[Clairenh]

I also have a new layer that just started laying eggs about 3 1/2 weeks ago and she lays shelless eggs often and also gets yolk and egg white coming out of her vent. I have started giving her one tums that I break up in about 4 pieces and that way she lays normal eggs for about a week before she starts laying shelless eggs again. I am hoping that it will straighten out but I also have to make sure that her vent area keeps clean, so I give her a lot of baths and blow dries.

She didn't lay an egg today :-( She doesn't seem to have a messy vent. It just kind of mystifies us since the other two hens never had this issue. They just started laying perfect eggs and have ever since. Oh well. As long as she is not uncomfortable we are ok with her not laying every day.