Single hen

[tooties]

I've had my ex-batts for 2 wks. Angelica was limping slightly yesterday and I noticed that her and one of the others hadn't had their back claws trimmed so I trimmed them.

 

This morning there was a shell less egg in the eglu under the bars. I really have no idea whos it was but Angelica is not herself this morning, slow to come out and not interested in eating or drinking first thing as she is normally. I regularly add crushed egg shell to their feed and they have grit and oyster shell.

 

They have all laid since we had them, not every day but most days. Sometimes we've had a wrinkly egg which I read was nothing to worry about.

 

Could the shell less egg be a result of the shock of having 2 of her claws trimmed?

 

She is also moving her bum constantly this morning - is she trying to pass the shell of the egg now? I have read this can make them very off colour.

 

They have all had slightly runny poos, but they have gone worm mad in the past 2 wks, plus eating grass so I suspect thats just the change in diet?

 

Any advice for a newbie gratefully received.

[Guest]

it does sound like she is trying to expel something, possibly the remains of the shell-less egg. Keep an eye on her and if there's no improvement tomorrow I'd take her to the vet. Hopefully she'll pass it at some point today.

 

It's a big shock to their systems to come out of the cage so I wouldn't worry unduly about softies. Our girls got layers mash mixed with some poultry spice and garlic powder when they first came out. We also sprinkled in some oyster shell and mixed poultry grit and provided grit in seperate pots.

 

You could add a bit of limestone flour to their mash to give them a calcium boost but we didn't find it made much difference.

 

Ours started to lay softies towards the end of their laying cycle. They all stopped laying after about 12 months but that was 12 months of lovely eggs We get the very occasional soft egg from them but not often. Their laying days are over now so we just make sure that if they're looking peaky, we don't leave them for longer than 48 hours without taking them to the vet.

 

A stuck egg can lead to peritonitis so I never leave it longer than a cple of days though, just in case, but also to give them a chance to clear it out themselves.

[tooties]

Thankyou!

 

Yes, I rang the vets this morning to check he would see chickens and will take her along tomorrow if theres no improvement.

 

If she has trouble getting the shell out, is this the same as being egg bound? i.e. sitting her on a hot water bottle might help, a warm bath etc?

 

I'm going to get hold of some limestone flour too, hopefully you can't overdose chickens on calcium!?!

[Egluntyne]

If the shell-less egg was entire, it is unlikely that the shell will be siting in the egg laying tract. It sounds more as if there might be another soft egg on its way. It can make them very miserable, as they are difficult to expel.

 

I find limestone flour very helpful. A dollop of codliver oil added to the pellets will help with the calcium metabolism as it contains VitD3 which is needed for its optimum use.

 

If you prefer, you could try a soluble calcium supplement such as Zolcal D

[Guest]

Thankyou!

 

Yes, I rang the vets this morning to check he would see chickens and will take her along tomorrow if theres no improvement.

 

If she has trouble getting the shell out, is this the same as being egg bound? i.e. sitting her on a hot water bottle might help, a warm bath etc?

I'm going to get hold of some limestone flour too, hopefully you can't overdose chickens on calcium!?!

 

I've had girls that have laid shell-less eggs and then later on you find something that looks like a big lump of chewing gum. Sometimes it all comes out in one go, sometimes it doesn't. My personal opinion would be, because it's not particularly cold at the moment, to leave her where she is as she will be more likely to pass it if she's relaxed and not stressed. if you take her away from her friends she might get a bit stressed, one of mine didn't like being put in a box when she was trying to lay a softie.

 

See how she goes and, as I say, if it were me I'd take her to the vets after 48 hours. That's what I'd do, good luck

 

xxx

[Egluntyne]

Article **here** on egg binding.

 

How does she seem today.

[tooties]

Thanks everyone for your replies - its so good to have people to ask!

 

I got home from work last night and Angelica was still very subdued and didn't even want any mealworms. I had a good look at her and she had what looked like a piece of straw hanging out of her vent. I gave it a gentle pull and it came out - it looks like a rolled up piece of membrane.

 

Immediately she perked up, ate, drank and pecked around. Went mad for mealworms and all seemed well.

 

But this morning it looks like shes struggling again. Shes listless and not eating or drinking and constantly moving her vent. I also rang the BHWT helpline last night and rubbed a little olive oil on her vent this morning as they suggested. She then retired to the nest box, so I left her there thinking it would be nicer for her to be in her own environment whilst I was at work.

 

I'm hoping she'll have sorted herself out by the time I get home, but if not I'll try a warm bath? Its only been 24hrs so far and if shes not back to normal by tomorrow it'll be straight down the vets. Although I am wondering what the vets can do?

[Guest]

the vet should be able to help release any stuck material inside her. They can also give her some antibiotics just to make sure no infection has set in.

 

Good luck, hope it doesn't come to that. Let us know how she is later.

[Guest]

....- it looks like a rolled up piece of membrane.

 

 

that will be the shell.

[tooties]

well tonight I got home from work and she seems right as rain! I couldn't see any more shell/membrane, but then my stepson had let them out to ravage the garden before i got home, so if there was any, it could be anywhere!

 

So shes back eating, drinking and bossing the others around again - hopefully thats her sorted now, but I'll keep an eye on her

 

Thanks everyone!

[Guest]

awwwwww, really glad to hear it

[Egluntyne]

Great news.

 

The fact that she was limping, and has had the shell-less egg problem could mean that she needs a bit more calcium and vitamin D.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Great news.

 

The fact that she was limping, and has had the shell-less egg problem could mean that she needs a bit more calcium and vitamin D.

I agree having seen it personally with one of mine.

I like th ZolcalD and choose to dose the chooks individually, then I know my softee girl is getting the right dose. She loves white bread so just syringe correct dose on & she gobbles it.

(not if it is nice mixed seed brown though!

I also had short trm success with Calc C but as I have had mine coming up to a year I expect the softees are to be expected. Wish she would simply stop really, it's soo not nice for them

[tooties]

I did wonder if the limp was connected in some way, that makes sense now!

 

Right, thats it, I'm off to buy everything I can possibly get down them! Poor little ex-batts, I thought the ground up eggshells, oyster shells and grit, apple cider vinegar, ex-batt crumbs & mash would build them up but they obviously need a bit extra!

 

Do you know, I've only had them 2 wks and being ex-bats they are the most scraggly things, they look a bit like raptors!

 

They have the runs constantly (I've ordered some bokashi bran), they are ruining my garden and every pair of shoes I own (and all my doormats) are covered in poop. I have to get up earlier and I won't work late just so I can spend some time with them twice a day.

 

And I'm loving it!!!

 

I've definitely got the chicken bug.......!

[sandyhas3chucks]

graet aren't they? they just take over your life & all your "old" friends think you have lost the plot, then you find all your "real froends" on here you can give them some tuna rinced 7 not in brine to hrlp them along. but take all things easy for a wee while yet, they probably got the runs from eating "strange things" remember nothing but mash & water has passed those poor little beaks ever before. they will settle own.

[tooties]

One of them (presumably Angelica after her earlier one this wk) has laid another shell less egg this morning. However, they all seem happy and perky so I'm not unduly worried.

 

BUT - I did also find this interesting piece of 'tackle', which I've read is nothing to worry about. What do you guys think? It seems quite big to me!! (the second photo is it cut in half)

 

 

[Guest]

that's an undeveloped egg. When we got one, I took it to the vets and my vet told me it's just a lump of protein that would have been an egg