Sick Hen, Tail Down, Egg Problems Need Advice

[mylegger]

One of my Golden Comets has just started to lay. I have 2 others that have been laying just fine, nice hard shells. This hen is having problems though. The day before yesterday I noticed her standing around the coop with tail down. I brought her inside the house and looked her over. When she would poop, it was watery pale yellow. No appetite at all. I gave her a warm bath and massaged her abdomen. About 45 minutes later, she laid a soft weird looking egg with the white but no yolk . The next morning, she was fine again - tail up, good appetite, normal poop, so I returned her to the coop. Later in the day, I found another soft shell egg in the coop. Now she is having the same problem again. Can anyone tell me what is going on? Thanks for any help.

 

[Judy]

They often have problems like soft shelled eggs when just starting to lay. I hope this straightens out in a couple of weeks or so. Maybe her calcium intake hasn't caught up with her particular needs, if you've just switched to layer from grower. Adding calcium might help.

 

[dawg53]

Since she just started laying, her internal egg making process is having a hard time trying to get it right. Give her time, hopefully it'll work itself out. If she becomes an internal layer, you might have to cull her. In the meantime, ensure she eats layer feed, no treats, and provide crushed oyster shell as free choice. You can soak her in warm water to help expand her innards to help her push the egg along, put some olive oil just inside her vent to make it easier for her to lay the egg.

 

[mylegger]

Thank you Ddawn and Dawg53 for the advice. I am going to Tractor Supply this morning and will pick up the Oyster Shell. Hopefully she will get the egg laying straightened out. I just had another one start laying today, and she has a nice hard shell too. Seems its just this Hen that is having some trouble. She is fine right now by the way, just comes and goes.
Thanks again for the help