Shell-Less Egg

[Shadrach]

Only other threads exactly like this one.

You would need to be able to prove that a lack of calcium was the direct cause.
Thousands of chicken keeprs feed their flocks with various types of all flock feeds which have varying levels of calcium.
At what level of calcium would you consider such feeds to be safe for laying hens. The highest calcium feed I can get here is 6%. The manufactures make it quite clear that this feed is for caged hens. Such hens are not going to live beyond two years old so there is no evidence whether such high doses of calcium are harmful in the long term.
The quantity of eggs a hen lays in her most productive years has a great influence on how much calcium she requires; higher production hens obviously requiring more calcium.
Then there is the calcium sourced from other things including water. Here for example we have well water which has a very high calcium content. Free range or partially ranged chicken get calcium from grass and many bugs and shoots.
So, to be taken seriously one would need to stipulate just how much calcium a particular breed of hen requires in a given set of circumstances.

 

[Shadrach]

When you suspect even a slight possibility of infection from a possible collapsed egg, I feel it's a no brainer to do the antibiotic.

We are not talking about using antibiotics irresponsibly as a general preventative. It's no different than going to the ER with an injury and being given an antibiotic. Last year I had a diagnostic surgical procedure and was given an antibiotic as a preventative although I had no infection. This is no different.

Currently we don't even know if there was a shell, how much if any remains inside the hen, if there is any yolk or membrane left inside or what the problems actually is.
On the three occasions I had hens lay partially shelled or shell-less eggs no antibiotics were given. The hen who was 11 years old did have some reproductive problems. A lot of hens di die from this in their old age. They all die of something.
The other two, after being flushed out laid as normal from then on.
The answer is to take the hen to a qualified vet, not indiscriminately pour drugs down her in the hope that one kills an infection that may not be there and may never arise. Imo.

 

[micstrachan]

I got one like that too. She started off a few weeks ago laying softies, and I put off treating her. I fear now that she might have a full blown infection. It's probably too late for mine, but I think I will get her started on some meloxicam, Baytril, and calcium.

I’m sorry!

 

[casportpony]

I’m sorry!

Thanks. She's a small OEGB cross, so too small for me to check for a soft egg.

 

[azygous]

Most of us here do not have a "qualified vet". My vet admits he knows nothing about chickens, and neither does the one other vet in town. I am safe in assuming I know more than these two vets do about treating chickens. We always recommend folks here take a sick or injured chicken to a qualified vet if they have the luxury of having one within 150 miles and the financial means to pay the hefty bills. The alternative is sharing our experience here on these forums so others can treat their chickens in lieu of having no qualified vet to turn to.

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks. She's a small OEGB cross, so too small for me to check for an egg.

I think you could safely check for egg binding. She would need to be laying eggs smaller in diameter then say your forefinger.
You can also use a thin flexible plastic tube. An obstruction such as an egg should be reasonably easy to notice when you tap it.

 

[micstrachan]

Dorothy was outside the box waiting for Buttercup, so I brought her in and it’s nice and warm in her area. She’s going in circles scratching at the towel. It seems like regular egg laying behavior, with a few eggy-sounding clucks here and there. I’ll let you know how it goes.

As of right now, I have not administered anything except calcium. I haven’t decided what I’m doing there. When Margo (Leghorn) was having issues, I treated her with amoxicillin. However, a year later she had an acute septic infection and, despite being a prolific layer of well-shelled eggs, necropsy revealed chronic egg yolk peritonitis dorsally (initial necropsy did not reveal anything; it did not show up intil microscopy and there was abundant egg protein all over the place.)

 

[casportpony]

I think you could safely check for egg binding. She would need to be laying eggs smaller in diameter then say your forefinger.

Go find one of you're that weighs 400 grams or less and try, you'll see what I mean.

 

[Shadrach]

Go find one of you're that weighs 400 grams or less and try, you'll see what I mean.

Do you have a picture of one of her eggs you can post next to a rule?

 

[casportpony]

Dorothy was outside the box waiting for Buttercup, so I brought her in and it’s nice and warm in her area. She’s going in circles scratching at the towel. It seems like regular egg laying behavior, with a few eggy-sounding clucks here and there. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I hope you get a nicely shelled egg!