Soft shell broken inside - what to do after the shell is extracted?

[Kiki]

Can you post pictures of these things?
I do feed them a 'porridge' every morning, with Verm-x Poultry Zest and fine Oyster mixed into their mash.


Usually a layer type feed has enough calcium in it for laying birds so I don't think I would mix oyster shell into anything. You could just leave it in a dish for them to pick at it if needed.

I'm wondering what the porridge and Verm X things are.

 

[Ruffle]

 

[Kiki]

I would put a dish of the oyster shell in with her now. If she still has more egg to push out the calcium will help.

 

[Kiki]

View attachment 2613464

Do you add this to the layer feed and call it porridge or do you mix this with something else?

 

[Ruffle]

Can you post pictures of these things?
I do feed them a 'porridge' every morning, with Verm-x Poultry Zest and fine Oyster mixed into their mash.


Usually a layer type feed has enough calcium in it for laying birds so I don't think I would mix oyster shell into anything. You could just leave it in a dish for them to pick at it if needed.

I'm wondering what the porridge and Verm X things are.

Do you add this to the layer feed and call it porridge or do you mix this with something else?

I don't add it to the layer feed - only to their 'brunch' - served in treat bowls: porridge is just warm water, layers mash, vitamins, crushed oyster and half a grated vegetable - usually courgette...

 

[Ruffle]

I would put a dish of the oyster shell in with her now. If she still has more egg to push out the calcium will help.

Thank you - doing that now

 

[azygous]

@Kiki has given you some excellent advice to get things rolling. I automatically give an oral antibiotic if an egg has ruptured inside. The inflammation from the shell and yolk can start growing bacteria very quickly, and that can spread up the oviduct and cause permanent damage. I like Fish Mox, which you can often find in pet stores. Ask for fish amoxicillin 250mg and give one capsule each day for ten days.

There could still be egg remnants inside her, so calcium is definitely a good idea. But the type of calcium I like for a crisis where you want it to be fast acting, is calcium citrate which is much easier and quicker to digest and absorb than calcium carbonate. This is what I use for egg binding and egg ruptures.

Give one whole capsule each day directly into the beak until this little power house is feeling her normal self again and laying proper eggs. This should not be confused with oyster shell as a regular source of calcium. Citrate is only for short term use.

Oyster shell (calcium carbonate) is still the best calcium source for normal laying hens with no health issues. But be sure to use oyster shell with large particles, as the powdery residue that accumulates at the bottom of the bag runs through a hen's system too quickly to be properly absorbed. The larger the particles, the longer they remain in the digestive tract, and the more calcium gets absorbed.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My beloved ex-batt Major Maggie

How is she doing?

I would get some calcium into and if possible an antibiotic. No enemas, no flushing.
If the contents of the membrane spilled into the oviduct then she's not going to feel well and could possibly get an infection.

Being an Ex-Batt, this may be a symptom of things to come unfortunately. Work on hydrating her and check her crop first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink.

 

[Ruffle]

Thank you all for your advice. She's still alive this morning but a bit weak and, probably unsurprisingly, hasn't laid. All she seems to want to do is sit on my knee, which is uncharacteristic for this usually very busy and bossy hen. We cant access antibiotics without a prescription here. I've called our vet practice but no vet available to even speak by phone before the end of the day. I've got come calcium carbonate into her & going to try to find somewhere that stocks calcium citrate right now.

 

[azygous]

Where is "here"? If you are in the US, you can indeed access fish antibiotics and pigeon antibiotics online.

https://www.kvsupply.com/item/aqua-mox-250mg-capsules-100-count/P06184/