Soft eggs

a_gal

In the Brooder
Aug 4, 2021
6
3
11
We have a two year old calico princess who has been laying soft eggs. Yesterday, the egg broke inside her, and she laid the shell separately and over time expelled the yolk and white. She seems very healthy other than this, is very active and showing no signs of stress. She lays 2-3 times per week, and has been laying soft shells occasionally since mid-spring. I've also noticed that she's lost feathers on her belly, and have seen other chickens "cleaning her." Occasionally she has loose stool but doesn't show signs of vent gleet other than her vent is a bit red. I've been keeping her clean and we switched to food with higher calcium content, and they always have oyster shells and sometimes crushed egg shells available. I'm concerned that this seems to be happening more often, as she regularly has egg white on her back end. When I wash her the water typically runs clear, the other four chickens are perfectly healthy. I've seen caltrate recommended, any tips on getting her to eat it? Any other ideas would be appreciated.
 
Can you post some photos?

What do you mean she regularly has 'egg white' on her rear end?

Sounds like it may be vent gleet or possibly infection but let's see what she and her vent look like first.

Having egg collapse in the oviduct and the shell and egg matter expelled separately greatly increases chances of infection.

You can try the Caltrate to see if the shell quality improves. Give 1 a day for a week.
Just pop the pill into her beak and let her swallow it.
 
Can you post some photos?

What do you mean she regularly has 'egg white' on her rear end?

Sounds like it may be vent gleet or possibly infection but let's see what she and her vent look like first.

Having egg collapse in the oviduct and the shell and egg matter expelled separately greatly increases chances of infection.

You can try the Caltrate to see if the shell quality improves. Give 1 a day for a week.
Just pop the pill into her beak and let her swallow it.
Thank you so much for your response. Her back end always looks wet, like she has hair gel in it due to expelling the egg whites. This morning up near her vent there is more matter than there has been, but there were no signs of diarrhea in the nesting box last night and she is alert and active. I'm going to pick up some caltrate this morning and start her on it. Any other ideas?
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Unfortunately the soft egg shell was stuck inside her, but as I was cleaning her up I was able to help gently remove it. Will keep her clean, add calcium and treat her for gleet. She has not been acting sick so fingers crossed. Thank you for your help!
 
Hi, I was wondering what your outcome was with your chicken? I have a similar experience right now with one of mine.
 
Hi, I was wondering what your outcome was with your chicken? I have a similar experience right now with one of mine.
The OP hasn't been on in over a year, so she may not respond to you.

Can you give more info and photos?
Similar experience - soft shelled eggs, a membrane hanging out...?

If there's a membrane, then you'll want to see if you can help her out by gently pulling, let her push.
Get some calcium into her once day. Calcium Citrate with D3 would be good.
 
The OP hasn't been on in over a year, so she may not respond to you.

Can you give more info and photos?
Similar experience - soft shelled eggs, a membrane hanging out...?

If there's a membrane, then you'll want to see if you can help her out by gently pulling, let her push.
Get some calcium into her once day. Calcium Citrate with D3 would be good.
Thank you. My hen has been laying soft shelled eggs multiple times a week. I think every one she lays is soft shelled and it's while she is roosting at night. I just discovered which hen it was yesterday. She is my fastest one and makes the most commotion when I try to pick her up (and the rooster really doesn't like that), so I will try to get her tonight to examine fully and clean her.

Can I give her the calcium at night?

From what I saw this morning without picking her up, the vent doesn't look swollen or red, but her bottom is completely covered with poop.

Some environmental factors: I have 24 hens, 1 rooster. Plenty of open grazing area. They roost at night in the coop. 7 nesting boxes. Temps have been in lower 80s. My rooster was hatched this spring, so he is on a mating frenzy. Maybe that's where the stress is coming from??

Also, I checked out the tillysnest website but the link for the liquid Nystatin is no longer active. Can I effectively treat with only ointment?
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Yes, you can give her the Calcium at night.

I'd clean her up, wash off her bum and check her over. Look for lice/mites.
See that her crop is emptying overnight too.

Soft shell eggs can be from a number of things, so hopefully the Calcium given daily for a week or so will correct that.

You mention the article by Tillysnest, I assume you are looking at the one about Vent Gleet. Do you feel that vent gleet is part of her problem? That would be a yeast infection. Usually vent gleet is a continual white yeasty smelling discharge. I do see some white stuck to the feathers of your hen, but it looks like urates, but you'll be better to determine that once you gather her up.
Sometimes the fluff needs a bit of trim as well.

If you do feel she needs treated with Nystatin, you can order it.

https://allbirdproducts.com/products/medistatin
https://allbirdproducts.com/products/nystatin-powder-generic
 
I looked at the Tilly's nest website from the reference from your response to the original moderator. I don't feel that it's vent gleet at this time until I examine her further, I just wanted to know in case that's what it turned out to be. And I agree with you, the white stuff does not resemble yeasty discharge. Thanks so much for your response.:)
 

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