Soft shell eggs

[jeighlynn]

If no membrane, it's more than a shelling issue.
Not sure there's a 'fix'.
Some birds are just duds.

What about in chickens that had previously been good layers with nice strong normal shells? The chicken in question is almost 2 and started laying thin shelled eggs, then soft shelled and now there is evidence of no shell, unless she ate the membranes. Last week I gave her cheese and her egg was almost normal again but still on the thin side, but then it went back to soft shells, then no shells. So I've discontinued the cheese and today tried a calcium citrate.

 

[mra]

Have you ever give a pill to a cat or dog? It's like that. Just stick the pill into the beak and when the chicken closes their beak the pill then goes right down. They can swallow big pills that would choke you.

Any other tips on how to give the pills. I have given (tried) pills to my dog, and no matter how long I keep his mouth closed, and how I wrap meat / treats / hot dogs / etc. around it, he manages to eat the food and spit out the pill once I release his mouth. I inherited my chickens and they are not used to human touch. I have 10 chickens and they are around a year old. When I am with them, they surround me, and follow me. I've been trying to pet them, and most of them scoot away when I reach out to touch them; some will tense up, but scoot away as soon as I stop. I have picked up a couple of them, but they aren't comfortable. Honestly, I am probably just as uncomfortable, if not more. I am a newbie newbie. And right now, I am not even sure which chicken is the one laying rubber eggs. Do I force their beaks open? Do I hold on to their beaks while they swallow? Can I hurt them?

 

[azygous]

Yes, it appears it's a respiratory infection or at the very least, an eye infection. The easiest way to treat it is to flush the eye with saline eye wash and put Neosporin in the eye twice a day until it clears up.

If the symptoms get worse, though, you will need to treat the chicken with an antibiotic called Tylan 50. You should be able to get it online. It's an injectible med, but most often we give it orally at .1ml per pound of body weight, twice a day for five days.

Any other tips on how to give the pills. I have given (tried) pills to my dog, and no matter how long I keep his mouth closed, and how I wrap meat / treats / hot dogs / etc. around it, he manages to eat the food and spit out the pill once I release his mouth. I inherited my chickens and they are not used to human touch. I have 10 chickens and they are around a year old. When I am with them, they surround me, and follow me. I've been trying to pet them, and most of them scoot away when I reach out to touch them; some will tense up, but scoot away as soon as I stop. I have picked up a couple of them, but they aren't comfortable. Honestly, I am probably just as uncomfortable, if not more. I am a newbie newbie. And right now, I am not even sure which chicken is the one laying rubber eggs. Do I force their beaks open? Do I hold on to their beaks while they swallow? Can I hurt them?

Your relationship with your chickens begins and ends with food. The one that brings food is a god to them, so use that.

Sit quietly with your chickens so they grow comfortable with your presence. Do that for a few days. You'll learn a lot about them by watching them in this way.

Then start offering treats from your hand. Use gloves because eager beaks can hurt. When you begin doing this, use a clicker or use a signal word or phrase so they associate the treat with the signal. Soon they will come to you when you use the clicker or the phrase.

I find it's easy to signal a treat is to be given, toss it down and then pick up the target chicken as they are eating the treat at your feet. To give the pill, wrap one arm around the chicken, and pry open the beak by pulling down on the wattles. Then shove the pill into the beak as far back on the tongue as you can get. Close the beak and the chicken will swallow.

Why don't you start a thread on this topic? It'd be a very helpful one for a lot of people and it would generate even more great tips from other experienced chicken keepers. Go to the "Behaviors" forum to start your thread.