Weird Eggs - Is my chicken okay?

[thechickenweirdo]

Hello Chicken Lovers! I have posted on here once before and this community was incredibly helpful- actually y'all helped save my chicken's life! So I am reaching out about another one of my girls. I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina/Tennessee area and we had a mild December (actually felt more like summer some days!) and now in January it has been FRIGID. We've had some snow on and off, our days pretty consistently below freezing or just above freezing temps. As soon as it got very cold outside, I started getting some weird eggs (photos included). One egg looks like the shell didn't form properly and there are cracks in it (this is definitely not one of my girls pecking at it); one egg is what I found online to be a "Fairy Egg"; one had a weird bubble on the top. These eggs were laid every other day from what I believe is my hen Peaches, who is exhibiting strange behavior. Yesterday, for periods of time I saw her hunched over with her eyes slowly opening and closing (photo attached), and she was continuously opening and closing her vent. Her vent is not swollen nor red, nothing is excreting out of it, and she still has a great appetite. Any guidance? Is this normal or should I take some precautions? Could it be all my hens laying weird eggs or is it probable that it's this one hen?Thanks everybody!

 

[LavenderDaFlerf]

I don't know whether it's one hen but the one with cracks in it is a recalcified shell, meaning it cracked inside her and she patched it.

 

[aart]

If it's the same bird for all eggs, she's got a wonky shelling gland and/or is ill.
How old are these birds, in weeks or months?

This is what I do when I have a bird that is acting off:
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[thechickenweirdo]

I don't know whether it's one hen but the one with cracks in it is a recalcified shell, meaning it cracked inside her and she patched it.

Does that mean there's something wrong with her? Could she be hurt by that happening?

 

[thechickenweirdo]

If it's the same bird for all eggs, she's got a wonky shelling gland and/or is ill.
How old are these birds, in weeks or months?

This is what I do when I have a bird that is acting off:
I isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so I can closely monitor:
-their intake of food and water,
-crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed),
-and their poops.
Feel their abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.
Check for external parasites or any other abnormalities.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

Thank you so much for your help. I am not 100% sure it's the same bird, but my one bird is acting kind of strange so I was thinking it was her. She is about a year old. I will do all of this. Can you help further explain checking the crop? I've tried to watch videos and it is not super clear to me. Thanks so much! I really appreciate your guidance.

 

[LavenderDaFlerf]

Does that mean there's something wrong with her? Could she be hurt by that happening?

If its just once and doesn't happen continuously she'll be fine.

 

[aart]

Can you help further explain checking the crop?

The crop is on the birds right/center side of chest, here's an illustration that should help.

Feel several birds until you get the hang of it.

 

[thechickenweirdo]

The crop is on the birds right/center side of chest, here's an illustration that should help.
View attachment 2960400

Feel several birds until you get the hang of it.

Thank you!