too many mice?!

[Andiexb]

Two days ago my smallest hen ate a mouse, which I have heard is not bad. but then I saw her eat a second one immediately after

This morning i woke up and she has a very droopy appearance and she wont eat or drink. she runs away when i try to catch her, and she had a soft shelled egg hanging out of her vent. I was able to catch her and remove the egg shell, and i think it all came out. Is it possible she is just really constipated?? I fee like i am going to loose her

 

[Judy]

I don't see how constipation would be related to a soft shelled egg. And eating mice shouldn't bother her, either, unless the mice have a problem. Could it have eaten some rat poison, particularly the kind with warfarin? You could try a Tums in the waterer for a calcium boost, and of course be sure their diet has enough calcium.

 

[Andiexb]

I give them a little pan of oyster shells and i also mix it into their food, I dont know why i get so many soft shelled eggs. She seems to be doing better, shes drinking and eating a few bits here and there. and we dont use any poison around the house. Ill look into getting a calcium supplement for their water too.

 

[Judy]

If they are on a layer feed and get oyster shell as well, I wouldn't think the problem is too little calcium. It does seem to be a mystery worth investigating if you get a lot of soft shell eggs, though. Here is an article meant for commercial producers about soft shelled eggs:

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

 

[Nutcase]

So you don't lay out rat poison at all - at least not in the chickens' reach? If not, the mouse/mice may have eaten something else...

 

[Andiexb]

no we dont use poison on the property at all. whatever was wrong with her she is fine now. she was walking around looking like she was trying to poop, and she was lethargic yesterday. if its possible i think she was just constipated. she was first out of the coop this morning and running around at my feet like her normal self. so yay! I was just paranoid, she is my grandmothers favorite chicken, and we would have had a sad christmas with out her

 

[Nutcase]

Hooray! We all get tummy ache when we, dare I say, overindulge