Soft egg dropped from roosting bar, vet prescribe Clavacillin 250mg twice daily, not chicken behaving ill

[U_Stormcrow]

20 dried mealworms should be about 2g. Assuming you feed approx 100g of complete feed daily, that's not crazy (we see posters offer 1/4 cup per bird and saying "its not much" - not their fault, they just don't know any better).

Dried Mealworms are usually given nutrition profiles around 45% protein (the good), 6.5% fiber (high, but not panic-worthy), and 37% fat (THAT is the concern!) plus some trace minerals, calcium, iron, selenium being among the most important).

A complete chicken diet, gross numbers, typically targets around 16-20% protein (we tend to favor 18-20%), 3-4% fiber, 3-4% fat ( alittle higher for meaties soon to market). The thumb rule is that "treats", like mealworms, should not exceed 10% of the diet, by weight, daily. If you did (as many do) offer mealworms at the 10% level daily, your birds would be getting all the fat they need in their diet just from the worms, the other 90% of their feed would be excess fat, enlarging the liver, packing around the internal organs, forming deposits under the skin, etc. Depending on quantity of fat and duration, it can end very badly, and often suddenly, for the bird.

 

[Blessedwithhens]

20 dried mealworms should be about 2g. Assuming you feed approx 100g of complete feed daily, that's not crazy (we see posters offer 1/4 cup per bird and saying "its not much" - not their fault, they just don't know any better).

Dried Mealworms are usually given nutrition profiles around 45% protein (the good), 6.5% fiber (high, but not panic-worthy), and 37% fat (THAT is the concern!) plus some trace minerals, calcium, iron, selenium being among the most important).

A complete chicken diet, gross numbers, typically targets around 16-20% protein (we tend to favor 18-20%), 3-4% fiber, 3-4% fat ( alittle higher for meaties soon to market). The thumb rule is that "treats", like mealworms, should not exceed 10% of the diet, by weight, daily. If you did (as many do) offer mealworms at the 10% level daily, your birds would be getting all the fat they need in their diet just from the worms, the other 90% of their feed would be excess fat, enlarging the liver, packing around the internal organs, forming deposits under the skin, etc. Depending on quantity of fat and duration, it can end very badly, and often suddenly, for the bird.

Thank you for your thorough explanation. I tried to watch their treat intake, and must say that for the past few days I may have been giving more than usual overcompensating for how bad I feel having to give her antibiotics and shortening her daylight. I also feel them frozen berries on hot days and occasionally I’ll cook up some eggs with eggshells. They also free range, which includes the compost pile (mostly veggie and fruit scraps). I will continue to limit my treat distribution with even more understanding thanks to you!!!!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thank you for your thorough explanation. I tried to watch their treat intake, and must say that for the past few days I may have been giving more than usual overcompensating for how bad I feel having to give her antibiotics and shortening her daylight. I also feel them frozen berries on hot days and occasionally I’ll cook up some eggs with eggshells. They also free range, which includes the compost pile (mostly veggie and fruit scraps). I will continue to limit my treat distribution with even more understanding thanks to you!!!!

Hang on, let me find the eggs and eggshells thread. We did the math.

Here it is.

Nope, that's not it. That's a comment in another thread around the same time we did the math. KNEW i should have bookmarked that thread. I'll keep looking. HERE it is!

 

[Blessedwithhens]

You say the vet started her on an antibiotic probably due to her having an infection.

Birds that are fed daily treats can become overweight extremely quickly...without you even noticing it.
One thing that almost all of the disorders listed on the link below have in common is overweightness or not being fed a proper balanced diet.

I don't know if you overfed treats or not but most people don't understand that feeding treats daily is indeed feeding too much treats so it is highly likely that most people overfeed treats.

Long story short your bird could be suffering from any one of these listed here:
Some of which can be cured by antibiotics if caught early enough... Unfortunately most of the time it's too late by the time you realize your bird is ill.


https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/disorders-of-the-reproductive-system

Thank you for the info. She is a 5 lb Dominic chicken. 3 years old. They also eat snakes and the green horned worms out of the garden, so with that said I will reduce the dried worms even more. I took her in on Monday, she didn’t start behaving differently until today, 3.5 days into the antibiotics. I have skipped a couple of doses at the vets advice when I reported watery stools after a full dose. It seems that now that she had has another full dose (2 x 250mg in 24hrs) she is just out of it. Are you thinking that the soft egg and now lethargy could be symptoms of a medical condition related to being overweight as opposed to her reaction to the antibiotic?
I asked the vet if she was overweight and she said no, she’s a big bird.

 

[Blessedwithhens]

Sorry, I posted this earlier today, but also want to add it to this thread to see what you all think.


I found this in the yard under my hen today.
History:
On 9/24-9/26 city spray for mosquitoes at night, brought hens in. No oyster shells for 3-4 days during that time, but put food and water out with them each day at daybreak.
on 10/2 I found hen on roosting bar with soft shell hanging off her and yolk and white under her. Took egg shell off her (shoudve checked if still partially in vent or just hanging off feathers but I didn’t)
On 10/4 our vet opened back up and I took her in, vet suspected oviduct infection and put her on clavacillin 250 mg every 12 hours
On 10/5 she had brown water stool, vet said skip a dose so we did
10/6 she got full dose again, brown water stool, vet said skip a dose so we did
10/7 full dose, water stool again
10/8 hen not alert as usual, just standing there staring off, took her in to vet, vet gave SubQ fluids, switched her to Tylan because jen not doing well with clavacillin
10/9 gave hen a break meds, hen not alert as usual
10/10 hen not as alert as usual, gave 250mg tylan
10/11 brown water stool, hen not alert as usual, gave 250 mg tylan
10/12 hen not alert as usual, found the meaty egg under her in yard, no tylan yet

Per vets advise ive been bringing hen in house at 5:30 each night since 10/4 to reduce sunlight to reduce egg production. This is the first I’ve seen her “lay an egg type thing” since the soft egg 1 week and 3 days ago.
On 10/4 vet felt in vent with finger and felt externally around abdomen, all she said she felt was poop. No xrays taken
Also been giving the hens probiotics and electrolytes in water save-a-chick brand

I measured out the 250mg of tylan powder in 7 days worth of baggies and added it to food mash first day, she didn’t eat it all. Put it in water and syringed it to her yesterday- in case You were wondering how im dosing her.

what is going on with my girl? She is my favorite hen, I am so worried

Hen is at the vet now. They had me drop her off. They will do X-rays. I’m not sure it’s lash egg, it wasn’t puss, it looked like meat (tuna texture) inside a rolled up piece of soft shell with lots of color pigment on it. I think it’s a piece of left over egg shell likely from the egg dropping incident with tissue in it (the shell felt like a soft part of a snow crab arm, bendy and rubbery-ish, instead of breaking open it bent and tore open). Why? If it is left over shell Why did it take so long to come out? Why is there tissue/meat inside of it?
What do you all think of Tylan powder antibiotic to treat this?

 

[Blessedwithhens]

I forgot to mention, that it went thru a mini molt for 2-3 weeks prior to the soft egg. Mini meaning I saw feathers on the ground here and there, but no bald spots on hen.

 

[Lizzy733]

Is she running a fever? Typically an infection, like the kind that causes lash eggs, will heat up their abdomen past the usual 105-107 degrees. As this is hotter than us, it's easiest to compare to a healthy bird or use a rectal thermometer.

Antibiotics do kill both good and bad bacteria, so I would recommend a supplement with probiotics to counter that, like polyaid.

Did your vet prescribe any calcium supplements? Ideally, you want liquid calcium with vitamin d as this is more readily absorbed than most other forms.

If she has been a very prolific layer up till now, this is the age where you may start getting into genetic-related reproductive issues, such as turmors or internal laying. More common in hybrids, but I'm sure the risk is increased for high-yield layers and those with poor genetics diversity as well.

Infections that lead to lash material are typically caused by internal injury, like a tear in the reproductive system (mine was from my Pol pullet going straight into double yolkers when she came into lay) or can result from a recent respiratory infection.

How does her abdomen feel? Overly firm, soft, anything 'lumpy' or off compared to your healthy hens? Does she try to squat for you or brace herself and strain when you apply gentle pressure?

 

[Blessedwithhens]

She honestly feels like the other chicken. Temp and abdominal feel. Not bracing, she perfectly content with me picking her up

 

[Eggcessive]

The amoxicillin can help if treated early for salpingitis, a potential cause of lash egg material. This is a common condition in hens over 2, unfortunately.

 

[Blessedwithhens]

Update: Hen’s Doctor observed and examined her and her “egg” today. She thinks it’s left over egg shell with membrane in it from her soft shell incident. Were continuing the Tylan 250mg per day and monitoring her behavior. She said it is not lash egg. Thank God!