Soft shell caused by cocci??

[ashlierami]

I have a partridge silkie. She is currently raising a 9 week old chick. I noticed a few weeks ago she laid a soft shell egg. I provided her with oyster shells and she ate them like crazy. Since then I provide them to her when I give her a daily treat. Yesterday I noticed she was acting strange and I found the "shell" of what was once a soft egg. She had eaten it. She was not moving much and was just standing around with her bottom in the air. Her crop was large and like a balloon. I removed her and gave her oyster shell and vitamin water. I waited for her to poop and it looked like cocci poop (watery slight blood tinge). I fixed her vitamin water with corid. Could cocci have been causing her to have soft eggs all along? She didn't lay them everyday but she had laid at least 3 that I knew of. She started laying when her chick was 3 weeks old. Since the chick is with her all day I have them both on the same corid water by the way.

 

[cassie]

Soft shell is usually caused by a lack of calcium. Does she have oyster shell available?

 

[Joeschooks]

I would keep feeding the oyster shell, unlimited access. If you have removed her layers pellets because of the chick then she will need this extra calcium. I’ve only had soft shell eggs from pullets and occasionally they got eaten but it’s never lead to a problem with them eating normal hard shelled eggs so I wouldn’t worry too much about that, just remove the eggs as quickly as you can. Was it just the one bloody poo or are all her poos like that?

 

[ashlierami]

I would keep feeding the oyster shell, unlimited access. If you have removed her layers pellets because of the chick then she will need this extra calcium. I’ve only had soft shell eggs from pullets and occasionally they got eaten but it’s never lead to a problem with them eating normal hard shelled eggs so I wouldn’t worry too much about that, just remove the eggs as quickly as you can. Was it just the one bloody poo or are all her poos like that?

Most of her poops were bloody. She only had a few that didn't have blood but several did. Her crop is still alittle big but not as big as last night. She unexpectedly started laying again shortly after her chick hatched so I did not have her on layer pellets. I will provide her with unlimited shells now. I have her drinking corid water and I will see how she does today.