Joanna egg problem

[chickenfan]

Joanna has been desperately straining to lay an egg (just her second this year). I popped her in warm water with epsom salts and massaged her, then after a lot of straining she laid first an egg white, then a yolk, then a crumpled shell. But she hasn't recovered. She's still standing with her wings down and eyes closed, looking miserable. I was very worried she might prolapse, but from the outside she doesn't look prolapsed. Could she have an internal injury? I am not sure what to do next?

Joanna had a broken thigh twelve months ago and recovered to walk normally, but doesn't scratch like other chickens, presumably because it makes her leg uncomfortable. Perhaps she is missing certain nutritional elements because of this. I've given her a little vitamin D and bit of (human) multimineral.

 

[dinosaw]

I don't think she will be missing vitamins Chickenfan, her feed should contain what she needs. Her problem will most likely be due to oviduct problems or failure to absorb enough calcium. If she recovers and then relapses and continues this cycle then it will be indicative of egg peritonitis.

 

[rick]

It's so hard, isn’t it!? I’ve had one get desperately ill then recover spectacularly and one mildly ill but obviously heading for oblivion and PTS. The only thing you can do I think is take them in when they’re looking rough so you can observe what’s happening better (and give them a break from the pecking order of course.) Good standard food, maybe with a pinch of mackerel mixed in for appeal and a bit of extra oomph. I wonder if the healing of the broken bone has finally caught up on her re calcium levels? How old is she?

 

[chickenfan]

Thank you Dinosaw and Rick. Perhaps she doesn't absorb enough calcium, hence the broken leg? I think she is only 2 or 3, but she is from a brother-sister mating (Breeder later told me when all the eggs he was giving me didn't hatch). I really hope she hasn't got peritonitis. She looked fine earlier today until I found her straining and crying out in pain. I've had birds lay shell-less eggs before and it hasn't been an issue. But I haven't seen the three parts laid separately and the hard shell in a crumpled mass.

 

[rick]

Sounds like she might have had a bump which broke the egg? The egg made its way through to getting a shell then broke so most of the process is working fairly well. I think broken eggs are a risk for peritonitis but not the symptom.
(or more likely the massage broke the egg - not that you had any choice but to try to move it)

 

[chickenfan]

The eggshell was crumpled into a ball as a single mass and not related to gentle massage. I'm really grateful for Dinosaw's potential diagnosis and will keep a close eye to see if its this. Apparently hens can be spayed or have an implant to stop them laying but its probably not a good idea and no doubt very expensive.

 

[rick]

Sorry Chickenfan, I'm just trying to make sense of it. It just seems most likely that the egg was in the shell and somehow it broke. I suppose it could have been a lodged shell from a previous egg but that would mean it's happened before. If anything I was trying to be optimistic, at least you have a full quota of egg parts! Good luck Joanna.

 

[valeriebutterley]

Just been reading about poor Joanna, hope she recovers, just wish we didn't love our darn chicks so much.

All the best to both you and her.

 

[chickenfan]

Thank you both. She is quite bright again today. She hasn't coped with her former flock-mates recently, so today I've put her with another young speckled sussex and she seems to like being with her own breed.