Soft shell egg broken inside but 2 days later she's quite subdued

[MandS]

One of our new rescue hens was acting strangely on Wednesday. I noticed her crop was full of liquid so assumed the start of sour crop and brought her in and put her in a cage.

Whilst there, she did some fairly unpleasant poops, one of which had a small tube hanging out. This was a soft shell. I tried to gently remove it but it snapped.

She couldn't pass it herself, so I did the vegetable oil and finger, found it and very gently removed it. She did perk up a bit and had some food. I put her back at the end of the day.

Next morning her crop was empty and for 2 days she's been more or less ok but not as active as normal. She's not laid since and is still a bit lethargic. She's eating ok but tends to just stand on one leg for a period of time, then move and switch to the other leg. Almost watching the world go by unless good is brought in and then she wades in with the rest of them.

I've given her a TUMS in some layers mash this morning, which she's eaten, plus some poultry vitamins and booster.

I've read umpteen threads. The shell was like paper, no hardness to it, so I don't think there would have been any cuts. I'm also pretty confident I got it all out.

I'm just concerned that she is not as active as the others and if I'm missing something.

Is there anything else I should be doing?

 

[Shadrach]

Where did you get your rescue hens from?
There are things whoever rescues hens (assuming Ex Battery) should tell new keepers but unfortunately rarely do.
1) What was she being fed at the battery.
2) What is she vaccinated against. Most battery hens are vaccinated and most of the vaccines are very effective. Knowing what she's been vaccinated against helps the new keeper rule out a number of problems.
3) New keepers should be told to keep the hens confined to a run for a week or two while they adjust to their new environment. They don't know jack about what is and what isn't good to eat and some get sick from eating strange foodstuffs.

A further consideration is at 18 months old (the usual time battery hens are considered spent) some hens will be in moulting mode. This can be hard to see given the state of some of them and rescue centres should not be farming out rescue hens at this time of year.

I'm going to assume you've done a very carefull inspection for lice and mites. Many come from the batteries infested with both. Some pick up lice and mites from the holding centres.

Ex Battery hens are always going to be prone to reproductive disorders. There really isn't much one can do about this. Some survive for a couple more years, others not.

On a more positive note, well done for getting the soft shell egg out.
It is always worth worming. If you want to do it the easy way then a product like this will do.
https://www.farmandpetplace.co.uk/s...iages-layers-pellets-with-flubenvet-10kg.html
It seems you are comfortable handling chickens so worming by individual doses is my prefered method.
https://www.farmandpetplace.co.uk/s...iages-layers-pellets-with-flubenvet-10kg.html

If she is eating and her crop is functioning there isn't much more one can do without vet diagnosis.

I care for what are now 19 Ex Battery and rescue hens. There were originally 26 and 4 more got added earlier this year. That's roughly one third dead in the space of a year. This apparently is better than average from what little information I can find. You should be prepared for a similar death rate.

Sorry I can't provide any concrete answers. Without vet care one can only deal with what one can see or have knowledge of and between various cancers and EYP one is left guessing.

 

[MandS]

Thanks. Yes, I've had chickens for about 40 years now and this last batch of rescue hens (battery, not enriched caged) were in a dreadful condition. I lost one in less than 3 weeks. I've checked on their vaccination status and was told they were, however who knows with the state of the farm they came from.

This girl has been fine and laying daily until now. They are in various stages of moult. They all looked oven ready when we got them at the beginning of September and a few of them now look like normal chickens thankfully. There are also a couple who still look oven ready and have very few feathers indeed. This is not due to pitching - there's simply no growth however they are all laying daily.

She's in the middle. Fairly well feathered apart from her back and bum.

I've had hens who have had a broken egg before but most pick up fairly soon after and usually lay again within a day or so. Hence why I'm posting because it's not usual in my experience.

As per one of my previous posts, these hens are the worst condition I've ever rescued. They had a dreadful life and have taken a very long time to socialise with each other (they're fine with me). The rescue organisation actually put a complaint in to Defra about the state of them - the first time in their history they've ever done that.

Hopefully she'll pull through and your advice is good although I already do it, including the pellets mixed with flubenvet.

I agree that they are prone to internal (reproductive) laying issues and I've lost a few through the years with this. Never one of the fancy hens we have, just the rescue ones. Apart from our recent loss, I've not lost any in the first year before, but certainly a few in the second year sadly, however at least they had a nice retirement while they were with us.

It's the standing around until food arrives that is concerning me - that and prolong standing on one leg at a time (no preference as to which leg - so not leg related).

 

[Eggcessive]

I would continue giving calcium with vitamin D 600 mg daily. Tums is okay, but you can get calcium citrate with D3 which is quickly absorbed. Other calcium is fine to use as well. She could have other shell-less eggs coming, or she may be adjusting to eggs after molting. Some hens have shell gland disorders, and no matter how much calcium they take, the eggs will not have shells. They may stop laying altogether with a reproductive disorder, or they may lay eggs that enter the abdomen. When they are having these problems they may feel weak and listless, so encourage her to eat and drink.

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks. Yes, I've had chickens for about 40 years now and this last batch of rescue hens (battery, not enriched caged) were in a dreadful condition. I lost one in less than 3 weeks. I've checked on their vaccination status and was told they were, however who knows with the state of the farm they came from.

This girl has been fine and laying daily until now. They are in various stages of moult. They all looked oven ready when we got them at the beginning of September and a few of them now look like normal chickens thankfully. There are also a couple who still look oven ready and have very few feathers indeed. This is not due to pitching - there's simply no growth however they are all laying daily.

She's in the middle. Fairly well feathered apart from her back and bum.

I've had hens who have had a broken egg before but most pick up fairly soon after and usually lay again within a day or so. Hence why I'm posting because it's not usual in my experience.

As per one of my previous posts, these hens are the worst condition I've ever rescued. They had a dreadful life and have taken a very long time to socialise with each other (they're fine with me). The rescue organisation actually put a complaint in to Defra about the state of them - the first time in their history they've ever done that.

Hopefully she'll pull through and your advice is good although I already do it, including the pellets mixed with flubenvet.

I agree that they are prone to internal (reproductive) laying issues and I've lost a few through the years with this. Never one of the fancy hens we have, just the rescue ones. Apart from our recent loss, I've not lost any in the first year before, but certainly a few in the second year sadly, however at least they had a nice retirement while they were with us.

It's the standing around until food arrives that is concerning me - that and prolong standing on one leg at a time (no preference as to which leg - so not leg related).

I hope I haven't come accross in the wrong way. I have to assume unless told otherwise minimum knowledge so I try to cover the basics.
I get quite a few eggs without shells from the allotment crew. I have one hen, estimated to be two and half years old that laid a few in a row and then stopped laying altogether. She hasn't looked well since; some days are better than others and I keep expecting to find her dead, but she keeps going, eats about enough, but is noticably less active than the others.
Here she is, the hen at the back.

I can't see what more you can do unless you have access to a good avian vet and are prepared to pay the cost.
The only thing I can think off that I have any experience with is an internal organ excerting pressure on the spinal column. A symptom of this can be the single leg swap stance you mention.

Ex Battery hens are a hard road. Well done for having the heart to provide what is essentially palliative care for those you can.

 

[MandS]

Oh blimey! No, you didn't!!!

Thank you - and I hope I didn't come over wrong, I was agreeing with you.

Thanks to you and Eggcessive.

The leg thing is so strange. She is doing normal poop, so that a good sign. I wondered perhaps if I'd hurt her when I was removing the shell. She had a dust bath about 30 mins ago for a short while until another disturbed her, then stood on both legs with her eyes closed and seem to be just sleepy however after about 5 minutes started preening.

I'll keep the calcium going in. Is it worth doing the warm bath do you think?

Thanks again to both of you.

 

[Shadrach]

Oh blimey! No, you didn't!!!

Thank you - and I hope I didn't come over wrong, I was agreeing with you.

Thanks to you and Eggcessive.

The leg thing is so strange. She is doing normal poop, so that a good sign. I wondered perhaps if I'd hurt her when I was removing the shell. She had a dust bath about 30 mins ago for a short while until another disturbed her, then stood on both legs with her eyes closed and seem to be just sleepy however after about 5 minutes started preening.

I'll keep the calcium going in. Is it worth doing the warm bath do you think?

Thanks again to both of you.

I've never bathed a hen for any reason. It says dry clean only the label.
I know some people give hens epsom salt bathes for egg binding. I use oil and rock them out.

 

[MandS]

Yes I think I am one of those people!

I've used it a number of times along with calcium tablets and it seems to have the desired effect. I've never tried your method but maybe next time I'll give it a go.

Oddly, once they are actually in the hot water they seem to enjoy it.

 

[MandS]

Update.

She picked up after a couple of days but did not lay any more eggs. However after a week and a half, she has started laying again - and the eggs are normal. She is laying daily.

So all is well and she is a happy little chicken going about her chicken ways!

Thanks for all the help.