shell-less eggs under roost now a lethargic hen

[JenHP]

Hi everybody. I am fairly new to chicken keeping (since December) and this is my first post on BYC, although I've been coming here often for advice and info (thank you). Here's my situation: last week when I cleaned the coop I noticed 2 dried piles of what looked like dried yolk. When I put the droppings in my empty winter garden, the hens ate them (the yellow things) so I thought, a flukey couple shell-less eggs. I've been checking the roost every day and everything has looked normal until yesterday when there was 2 piles of yellow watery liquid. So I've been trying to research what this could be without much luck, and now today there is what is obviously a shell-less egg under the roost along with another couple piles of egg-like substance. Today is also the first day that any of my 7 hens have behaved abnormally - my black Australorp is very lethargic - droopy eyes, staying in one place, holding her head close to her body, tail feathers twitching somewhat, and all her feathers seem kind of puffed out. Can any of you please shed some light on what might be happening? I've called the only local vet that treats chickens and their only poultry vet is out until Monday. Any helpful comments welcome, thank you!

 

[ladrholman]

Could be an internal layer... they can get quite sick very fast with this... this is a thread a little further down on this. She could have broke an egg on route....Check around her vent to see if there is any yolk on her vent/feathers. Feel her abdomen (gently) ... is it swollen? warm? usually the puffed feathers and droopy eyes mean they are sick with something. I lost a girl to internal laying this week, but also just had my little cochin who was egg bound pass an egg and she looks much better....good luck... I have seen Bytril and amoxicillin recommended a couple times here, but I don't know enough about either to recommend.

 

[JenHP]

Hi and thanks for the reply. I've been doing more research on internal laying and EYP - are these the same thing? - and it seems like this might be Betty's problem. Unfortunately she is one of my most shy girls and she won't let me catch her to do any kind of examining. I did read earlier that hens with EYP have a tendency to produce double yolk eggs and we do get a big ol' double yolker every week to 10 days. Now I'm wondering if those were safe to eat since EYP is often bacterial in cause? There is only one vet in my area who treats chickens and he isn't in the office until Tuesday so if anyone has any advice to offer me in the meantime I would be very grateful. Thanks.

 

[ladrholman]

I would wait until dark and get her and give her a good examination. Isolate her so you can see what she is passing and if she is getting worse. Not sure on treating... I have read where if they have layed internal and developed a EYP there is not a lot that helps... some have had success with a vet draining the abd and stopping the laying others with antibiotics but often ..... best of luck

 

[JenHP]

Well I brought her in for the night but unfortunately since this is a very timid and nervous girl she was very uncooperative and I wasn't able to examine her as thoroughly as I would have liked. I do know that her abdomen and under her wings didn't feel warm at all and I didn't feel anything totally abnormal, but being new to this I'm not totally sure what to look for. She has eaten and drank a little while in her confinement but she didn't pass anything at all through her system last night - no shell-less eggs and not even any poo. I know she pooed yesterday because it was fresh and in the spot where she spent quite a long time (couple hours) just standing there. It was oily, normal color on the bottom but pale yellow on the top. Does anyone else have any opinions or experience with these symptoms? It does seem like internal laying but I have no idea if there's another problem that it could be. All help, advice, wisdom welcome, please!

 

[JenHP]

Does anyone else have any insight? Do you agree that this is internal laying, or something else?? I really need some help here. After speaking to my local vet who treats chickens, he really doesn't sound very knowledgable about them so I feel like I'm on my own with this situation. If anyone can provide an opinion, even if it's the same as the one previosuly given, please speak up because I really need to know what is going on with this girl.

 

[Tubbys Lil Farm]

Hi there,
I'm curious how this all panned out for your girl. I have a little hen right now whose story sounds very similar. Did she recover? Did you treat her with anything?
Thanks!
M

 

[JenHP]

Hi there. My hen who seemed sick/lethargic that day hasn't shown any further symptoms and seems fine now. I am still, however, getting the shell-less eggs that are "laid" at night while the girls sit on the roost. My best guess is that I had a round of infectious bronchitis come through and one girl got some damage to her reproductive system. Since my last post I have gotten a few eggs that match the description of IB eggs but other than that I never noticed any of the common symptoms like coughing or sneezing. The shell-less egg thing is very bizarre and I wish I knew what the cause was, especially since it has gone on for so long (6-7 months now). What is going on with your girl?

 

[soler]

it sounds like calcium deficiency. Check this great article that talks about egg defects (including IB defects):
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search/label/bloom

"NO SHELL or THIN SHELL
I call soft-shelled eggs ‘rubber eggs” as the membrane is soft and pliable. Commonly produced by new layers, caused by either an immature shell gland or a glitch in the reproductive system when the shell was not properly added in the shell gland. Can be caused by stress or poor nutrition. To find them occasionally is no cause for concern, to find them regularly can indicate a calcium, phosphorous or vitamin D deficiency."

 

[JenHP]

Thanks soler, but I don't think calcium deficiency is the problem. I provide oyster shell as well as soy free organic layer feed from Countryside Organics. The layer feed alone contains adeuate calcium for shell production and all my girls love it. These eggs aren't just shell-less, they also have no membrane sac and they are not even laid in the nest box like a normal egg cycle, they are dropped out at night while the girl sits on the roost.