Help! Hen problem

[Ragdoll Lady]

Please can you hen keepers give me some advice. Scarlet our Bovans Goldline 25 weeks old started laying 4 days ago. Her first egg was huge but the shell was very light coloured (should have been brown) and not as thick as the others when cracked open. We thought this was due to it being a first egg and on the large side. She laid it very late in the evening around 8pm. Her second egg two days ago was also laid very late in the evening and we pressumed it had been kicked out of the hen house as it was at the bottom of the ladder in the coup broken all that was left was a bit of softish shell the yolk and a lot of egg white. Last night she didnt want to go into the hen house at around 10pm but we persuaded her to do so as we wanted to shut the pop hole door. This morning there is again the remains of an egg but no shell as such just the membrane layer but its a bit harder than normal. Needless to say am getting worried. She seems a bit quiet. I picked her up and put her on my lap the give her a good feel(although being a newby dont know what I am actually looking for) She was a bit damp around the vent (a few feathers like she has done a poo) Her vent seems clear and she didnt seem distressed. I popped her back and gave her some cider vinegar. I was worried she had something stuck inside her but cant see or feel anything so now I am wondering if she is laying soft shelled eggs and if so could you tell me why this happens and what I can do about it?
Thanks for your time , I am just so worried about her.
Lindax

[Ragdoll Lady]

[goodlife]

Hello dear... reeelax.. ;D..all is not as bad as it sounds..
Well then..to the business..when chickens comes to lay in first time..anything can be expected and all sorts usually comes out first. Leather eggs..brittle shells..odd shapes and sizes..not the usual shade of colour..yolkless..etc.
It takes a while their system to get into working rutine..As long as you make sure they are eating their balance food..layers pellets/meal..and it is readily availabe and they have plenty of mixed grit and clean water..their really basic needs for good laying (that you can influence) are met. Greens and other treats are bonus.
I'm sure things will settle to 'normal' short while..
BUT..if things don't improve in couple of weeks..or if something changes in her health/behaviour..let us know and then we have a 'chat'.. ;)

[goodlife]

another thing..well done for inspecting her back side.. ;D..even if you are not quite sure what you were looking for.. ;D You've got all the right instincts.. ;)
But without going to great details..if ther back side felt/looked normal...thats quite enough..
If you were to see lot of mess..or unusual things poking out of the vent..that would be cause of action.
But as for now..your girl might be bit quiet..it has been quite ordeal to get some rubbery thing out of bottie for her too..
Just keep eye on her..see if she otherwise behave normal..eats, drinks and scratches about and is generally active and interested of her surroundings.
If she is just got a bit of 'chock' she will soon get over it and return back to normal things.. ::)

[Ragdoll Lady]

Thanks Anja for your words of comfort and advice ;) You know me by now I have been fevourishly reading just about anything I can find on the internet and worrying myself silly ::) I do the same thing with the cats (think I am still beating myself up about losing Celine although the vet assures me I did everying possible for her)
I will take a chill pill and watch her today but not let her know I am watching her so she isnt stressed.
Thanks again for the advice I guess we had it easy with Abbygail and Gemima and their egg laying.
Lindax

[goodlife]

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I have been fevourishly reading just about anything I can find on the internet and worrying myself silly We've all been there.. ;D..and sometimes I still am. I try to keep away medical books..veterinary reports..etc..once you start you find all the symptoms in yourself/others/pets..for all sorts of diseases and problems.. ::)..even the really rare ones.. ;D ;D It's so canny how you find the symptoms matching..
I do have bit of sympathy for GP's..sometimes.. ::)

[Ragdoll Lady]

Callum our wonderful vet has such empathy with his animal patients he seems to always have had what they are currently suffering from. Redford has feline Herpes and Callum was telling me about his cold sores I was laughing at him as we all know what human herpes can be. Of course he got embarrased when I pointed out that he has always had what my cats have had. He says he has to keep his mouth shut with people who dont 'know' him else they go away thinking he is barking mad.!
My parents have two friends that are always on the internet looking up their symptoms. Doesnt help she has the same things I have and tells me what else I can get ....   so depressing. If you read the possible side effects on the back of a packet of pills you wouldnt take them in the first place, she delights in telling the poor doctor that she has had all the side effects  ::))

[pumkinlover]

Not trying to worry you but one thing to look for is if the bird is stood hunched like a penguin, that is sign of egg bound.

[goodlife]

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not trying to worry you but one thing to look for is if the bird is stood hunched like a penguin, that is sign of egg bound
Yes true.. if they are hunched up like that its propably been like that for while already...that why in my answer I was refering to the 'normal behaviour'. Feeling about possible bound eggs is not often so easy..it all feels just rather lumpy..
To learn to feel the 'egg' inside ..there is good way to go about it..to have a feel of one chicken that have already laid an egg..the area between the breast plate and vent ..there is sort of gap you can fit 'so many fingers'..and then to feel one girl who hasn't layed yet..but is about to do so..the 'gap' is much smaller..
I think often people falsely think that they can actually feel 'eggy' lump..well you can but you have to be quite rought to do so (not good)..It's more about feeling the fullness.
Once you know how that feel then one can start inspecting the possibility of boundness...often that doesn''t show other way than behaviour..straining for ages in nest box..looking unwell..
I've noticed that egg boundness is far more common with more mature layers than with younger ones..but if younger ones do have the problem then its often repeated problem..one that we can only provide little help but it is 'fault' with the chicken.

[pumkinlover]

sorry if it seemed alarmist, and Anja did make the point about normal behavoir.
Having let a chicken suffer this way in my ignorance and then been so angry with myself.
I just hope if anyone ever sees my post they know this is really bad and know not to let a hen get that way :( :-[ :-[

[goodlife]

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sorry if it seemed alarmistOhh...noo..it wasn't alarmist..it is good to bring it out..
I've had chicken that died for it..and it is not nice..
But sad thing is that often you just cannot do anything about it..you can only try to coach the egg out..but if it doesn't come out or breaks inside..well the results are not good.. :(
And if anybody wonder now what to do when chicken gets egg bound..well..warm water bath to soften the vent is one trick..vaselin another..gentle massage to 'move' the egg..and the final but not actual remedy..kull..sometimes only kind thing to do..

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not to let a hen get that way well..sometimes it is unavoidable..as egg boundness can be caused stress or lack of calcium. You can provide the best possible diet/food..but if the birds wont eat as 'the books say' or gets stressed over something.. ::)

[Ragdoll Lady]

Dear Pumpkinlover I did not take your post as being 'alarmist' at all. I knew you were trying to help and to warn me of what to look for :)  As Anja knows I had already read up about egg binding as well as soft shelled eggs and getting myself into my usual look on the black side mentality :-[ The advice of hen people like yourself and Anja is worth its weight in gold and thank you for both being so quick in responding to my questions. As you both know I lost my cat Celine to Triaditis and am still beating myself up about not spotting the vague but present symptoms. I have been on several Ragdoll and cat forums begging people to look out for the signs and act on them as soon as possible to prevent their cats going through what Celine did. So Pumpkinlover I so understand what you ment about your hen.

Update on Scarlet. She did spend the morning in the nesting box and I was getting quite worried. She seemed calm and I really could not feel anything bulging in her undercarridge. Her vent felt normal and she had no discharge. I gave her pellets mixed with a bit of oyster shell and water with apple cider vinegar whilst she was in the nesting box. She ate and drank normally. She came down into the run later on and was moving fine with no tucked up appearence. She was digging with all of them and practically pecked my hands off to get to the corn and meal worm ration. She took herself off to bed with the others. This morning she breezed out of the henhouse with the others and tucked into her food and water with gusto. No soft egg or egg in the nesting box so am on Hen watch toady but she seems a lot better. I am just hoping it is a soft egg blip and nothing trapped inside. Will take a better look at her when they are running round the garden later on. I will keep everyone informed with how she is doing. Thanks again both of you and have a lovely weekend.
lindax