Soft shelled issue for 11 months, I'm seeing a real problem now....

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Acefit411

Acefit411

Chirping
7 Years
Apr 13, 2012
131
4
93
Catskill, NY
I have a RIR hen who is 17 months this September. A sweet hen (her name is "Lady"), who is at the bottom of the pecking order.
She has always given me a soft shell, with the exception of a handful of times giving me a normal hard shelled egg. There has been occasions when I have found the broken egg under the roost, or in the nesting box.

I keep a daily journal so that I know what all my hens are doing or not doing.... egg counting being one of them. Today I noticed the nesting box had bright colored yolk all over and a small amount of fresh poop in it. I thought that one of the other hens came in to take the egg and what ever shells remained....I chalked it up to a broke egg by Lady as she was getting up and out of the box. I noticed at 4pm this afternoon, she went into the nesting box to sit....I picked her up and felt around, but didn't feel anything out of the norm. She went back in on her own accord.

How can I help this sweet hen? She gives me a egg everyday!!! Seven days a week ~ can you believe that?!?! This week, all her eggs broke, but one. She has access to oyster shells, protein and treats like all the others......

I am concerned, please advise,
Thanks you
~anna
 
You could try giving her some human calcium orally, that's how I got my turkeys through their soft-shelled spell.

-Kathy
 
Last edited:
Thanks, I agree... great link for referral.

Kathy, how much oral calcium / dosage should I give? Can I mix this in with her food (scrambled eggs)?

My girls free range from 5 to 7 hours a day, so they don't intake as much in the pellets as maybe they would if they were in the pen.
Her comb and wattles are perfect in color, she is an aggressive eater, as she has to fight for position. I'm also concerned that she should be getting ready for her first molt any week now!!!
 
Okay, Lady has taken a turn south :(

She is standing away from the other hens, not eating her favorite morning breakfast! She still has a red comb.
I guess next step is to grab her and put her in my make shift chicken hospital to monitore her eating, pooping for a day. I gave her a warm bath a few days ago, it's seemed to help..... The eggs shells were SO thin, she should be passing them easily - NO???????

I have to leave for a GA on Thursday!!! I'm so very worried about her. It's things like this that make me want to give up :(
 
UPDATE:
Lady was given warm bath for 25 minuets this afternoon. Has been put in the chicken hospital with towels food and electrolytes in her water. She has eaten very little (small amount of ww bread, blue berries, grapes, and some grass from the lawn). I just now turned off the heat lamp as I had seen she moved to get further away from it.
I spoke with my vet, and she said to watch her, and to add the human calcium crushed to her food which I had already did (Thanks Kathy). I find this so stressful.... I try to do everything just right, I care so much for all my girls and this kind of stuff just cripples me ....
 

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