Silkie hen losing weight and lays softshelled eggs

[LittleFlinga]

My silkie started looking thinner and laying either misshaped, softshelled or just thin eggs. The shell is always rough like sandpaper. Also they are more watery and have like small bubbles inside instead of airsack. (Maybe because the shell is thin?) She is also very bare on all her underside. I took her to a vet as soon as I noticed first time when she was greezy in her vent and a blodtest showed inflammation. She got Bactrim and become better. But after some weeks later it’s the same. She runs with the others but in the afternoon she is tired and wants to rest. She seems very cold but her belly is hot. Then she is also quiet which she normally never is. She shivers like fever. I have taken her inside those occasions and when she has rested for a while she becomes herself again. Her sister and the others gain weight and have also moulded and paused laying eggs meanwhile, but not this one. I went to a vet yesterday and they adviced me to give her Metacam for 7-10 days. Treatment for poultry is restricted her in Sweden because they count as production animal. I have only 4 backyardchickens and they are my pets, insured and all...
Had it ben a parrot she would have had tests and treatment. Unfair that is.
She is special to me so please let me know if there is anything more I can do for her.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like she is experiencing reproductive disorder, which can be common in some older hens. Infectious bronchitis virus can be a cause of some of those problems, as well as infection or tumors. Salpingitis and impacted oviduct are some of the conditions. Those can lead to egg yolk peritonitis. She may or may not benefit from antibiotics, but vets are reluctant to use those in egg layers, unless you will throw away those eggs for a few weeks afterward.

 

[LittleFlinga]

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It sounds like she is experiencing reproductive disorder, which can be common in some older hens. Infectious bronchitis virus can be a cause of some of those problems, as well as infection or tumors. Salpingitis and impacted oviduct are some of the conditions. Those can lead to egg yolk peritonitis. She may or may not benefit from antibiotics, but vets are reluctant to use those in egg layers, unless you will throw away those eggs for a few weeks afterward.

Thank you for your answer. They sometimes sneeze/cough but nothing else to be seen. No respitory problems and the others gain weight. The fact that she has no down on her belly, is that a symtom?
Can hens have fever? She is mich better on Metacam but will it help all the way? If this is due to IB, is that a virus or bacteria? Wouldn’t the others also have symtoms?

 

[Eggcessive]

Infectious bronchitis is a virus that causes sneezing, and usually affects much of the flock. It could have been a problem earlier, and a milder case. It is a common cause of reproductive disorders.

 

[LittleFlinga]

Infectious bronchitis is a virus that causes sneezing, and usually affects much of the flock. It could have been a problem earlier, and a milder case. It is a common cause of reproductive disorders.

IB sounds really like being the cause here. Everything fits in to the symtoms, having read more about it.
Questions is; Is there a cure?
They all sneeze/cough now and then and have done so since one year ago. I lost 2 last summer, they lost weight and got secondary infections.
Now one is on eggs and I don’t want the chickens to catch this.

 

[Eggcessive]

There is no cure if the problem is IB. Make sure they are getting crushed oyster shell in a separate container. Once IB runs through a flock, they can be carriers for 5 months to a year. If you add birds or hatch chicks for a year, they may get it, and keep it going.