Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[wenhen]

Hi

 

Yesterday my husband had to gentle push Poppy's insides back in again - he said that there were unshelled egg hanging out too and she has layed an egg with another egg shell round it (if that makes sense) having not laid anything for a couple of days. She was perfectly fine afterwards and was running around with the other today.

 

Today she has been a bit quiet again and I've just got home and had a quick look and she is hunched up standing up on the bar in the Eglu.

 

So, is there anything else we should be doing for her and would a trip to the Vets be advisable?

 

Many thanks!!

 

Becca

[Plum]

She's probably got another softie coming, its very common. But if she had a broken egg in her there is the risk of infection so if she's not passed it in the morning I would check her over for warm and swollen abdomen and that she's not prolapsing again. Antibiotics from the vet would be needed for an infection. If it happens again you are best getting all the bits out with a clean finger with lubricant(gloved is best).

 

I've had a few problems with my girls and from reading a lot recently about prolapses, soft eggs etc., I understand that when an egg is coming down the track it can stop and backtrack a bit which is why you can end up with a shell around another egg.

 

It usually only takes a couple of hours to pass a softie so if it looks as though she is in trouble I would take her to the vet. Hope she is ok.

[Plum]

Is she ok Becca?

[Egluntyne]

I would discourage laying by keeping her on minimal rations, such as weetabix rather than pellets, and water for 2 or 3 days. If it prolapses again, I would also keep her in a darkened crate for a couple of days.

[sandyhas3chucks]

no protein, slowed mine down as well, plain oats seems to be ok. are you adding calcium suplement at all?

good luck and Happy Holiday

[pistachio]

Thank you for this post and the advice. One of my chickens has a prolapse and I wasn't sure what to do with her. My chickens have a history of pecking each other badly. This seems to have mellowed over time but I was worried that the one with the prolapse would get picked on so she's currently in a shed.

We changed our feed a while back (I got ill and can't drive to pick up the other feed) and one of our chickens became calcium deficient and they all laid less so we changed back to our original brand. I still have some calcium powder which I used with the calcium deficient chicken. I understand that good pellets have enough calcium in them and that this helps with the formation of a good solid shell. Is it right that if they have too little calcium they might get soft egg shells which are harder to push out and then they risk having a prolapse? I want to give my poor prolapsed chicken a break from laying and i see you recommend weetabix or oats - but should I be giving her extra calcium?

Also - how does one poke a prolapse back in? I'm rather nervous of hurting her and want to get it right. Is it relatively easy to do at home or does she need to go to the vet?

 

I hope your chicken is much better

[pistachio]

Oh dear. Can't quite believe it. My chicken died I know they can go quickly - but that was a real shock. I guess there may have been something more going on than a prolapse - maybe some internal damage too. RIP Raven - you were a little star x

[Plum]

I'm so sorry to hear it. What a shock for you to lose her so quickly. I understand there is quite a low survival rate with prolapse, they just aren't good news. I really don't know why you would lose her so quickly unless she was pecked but you had seperated her. Big hugs to you xx

[wenhen]

I'm so sorry to hear about your hen Pistachio - that must have been such a shock.

 

Our's seems to be doing better - she still hasn't laid anything and in the last couple of days has had a huge moult, so the little thing has quite a few bare patches on her now and the garden is full of red feathers!!

 

Her vent has been looking find and nothing has popped out again (I was told by Husband that there wasn't 'that much' when he did it).

 

So we are keeping out fingers crossed with her - she seems happy in herself and it as alert and perky as normal.

 

Thanks to everyone for your replies and checking on her progress.

 

B