Soft-shelled and no-shell eggs

[Lighthearted]

I have a golden commet, probably 2yrs old, could be 3. She seemed a little lethargic the other night, and she had a bit of discharge - mostly clear but a little white. I did an empsom salt soak and not long after she passed a soft-shelled egg. Then I was feeding her some yogurt and she passed an egg with no shell - I'm guessing it was previously blocked by the soft-shelled egg. I've been giving her calcium + D3 (400 mg/day) and she is with the flock but in a separate pen so I can monitor her. I didn't see any egg yesterday, but today when I was out there she passed what is mostly a soft eggshell, but broken / collapsed. It has a little bit or rubbery material that I would associate with a lash egg (see photo). She is eating, and maybe a little lethargic but not awfully so. It is hard to say, since she is in the smaller pen. She also could have laid an egg yesterday, and then if it was soft or broken, eaten it so that I wouldn't have seen it. I just happened to be out checking on her right when the passed / "laid" this one. She also has access to oyster shell - though after the first night I went and checked and saw the feeder was empty, so that could have contributed. I'll keep giving the calcium (is 400 mg a good amount?) and monitoring - is there anything else to do for her?

 

[RedHillChicken]

I have a golden commet, probably 2yrs old, could be 3. She seemed a little lethargic the other night, and she had a bit of discharge - mostly clear but a little white. I did an empsom salt soak and not long after she passed a soft-shelled egg. Then I was feeding her some yogurt and she passed an egg with no shell - I'm guessing it was previously blocked by the soft-shelled egg. I've been giving her calcium + D3 (400 mg/day) and she is with the flock but in a separate pen so I can monitor her. I didn't see any egg yesterday, but today when I was out there she passed what is mostly a soft eggshell, but broken / collapsed. It has a little bit or rubbery material that I would associate with a lash egg (see photo). She is eating, and maybe a little lethargic but not awfully so. It is hard to say, since she is in the smaller pen. She also could have laid an egg yesterday, and then if it was soft or broken, eaten it so that I wouldn't have seen it. I just happened to be out checking on her right when the passed / "laid" this one. She also has access to oyster shell - though after the first night I went and checked and saw the feeder was empty, so that could have contributed. I'll keep giving the calcium (is 400 mg a good amount?) and monitoring - is there anything else to do for her?

@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock
@coach723
Please post pictures of her vent area and the poop. What color is her comb? Is her stomach bloated? Does she have any respiratory problems? Have you noticed any other lash eggs in the past week?

 

[Eggcessive]

How long have you been giving the calcium? You can give 300-600 mg of calcium citrate with D for 7 days. I think that @azygous said she would not give it longer than 2 weeks. Your hen may be showing signs of a shell gland problem or salpingitis. Is she on a layer feed as most of her diet? What do her droppings look like. Some use antibiotics if salpingitis is suspected, and it may or may not help, but the earlier in the disease they are started the better. Amoxixillin or enrofloxacin are ones most commonly used. You could also watch for any other abnormal eggs. Here is some info on salpingitis:
https://www.bhwt.org.uk/hen-health/health-problems/lash-eggs-salpingitis/

Here in post 6 is info on dosages and where to find antibiotics:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/is-this-a-lash-egg.1664034/#post-28602586

 

[Lighthearted]

@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock
@coach723
Please post pictures of her vent area and the poop. What color is her comb? Is her stomach bloated? Does she have any respiratory problems? Have you noticed any other lash eggs in the past week?

No other lash eggs, no bloating or respiratory issues. I'll see about pictures tomorrow. I turned her out this evening and her energy level seems normal again. I'll separate her again tomorrow and continue watching.
Thanks!

 

[Lighthearted]

How long have you been giving the calcium? You can give 300-600 mg of calcium citrate with D for 7 days. I think that @azygous said she would not give it longer than 2 weeks. Your hen may be showing signs of a shell gland problem or salpingitis. Is she on a layer feed as most of her diet? What do her droppings look like. Some use antibiotics if salpingitis is suspected, and it may or may not help, but the earlier in the disease they are started the better. Amoxixillin or enrofloxacin are ones most commonly used. You could also watch for any other abnormal eggs. Here is some info on salpingitis:
https://www.bhwt.org.uk/hen-health/health-problems/lash-eggs-salpingitis/

Here in post 6 is info on dosages and where to find antibiotics:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/is-this-a-lash-egg.1664034/#post-28602586

Thanks for the further info / links. I'll keep watching for her eggs; I've been giving calcium for 3 days now. I have chicks with the flock, so not feeding layer at the moment - everyone is getting an 18% feed, no calcium added, but there is oyster shell available.

 

[Eggcessive]

Keep us posted on how she is doing.