shell-less eggs/dirty vent area

[Anonymous]

I'm new to chickens and have 3 who had been lay well since we got them (POL) 2 months ago. About 10 days ago we started getting eggs with only a sac rather than shell - at first I had thought it could be related to one being chased by a neighbours dog. The shell-less eggs continued for several days until we upped their ground oyster shell (now about 20% instead of 5%) but now one of the chickens has a dirty vent area although there's no sign of diarrohea, in fact the poo is quite firm - but she doesn't seem to be laying either! Advice please! :|

 

[Davidd]

Hello, have you checked for lice? A dirty vent is a sign- have a look under the vent and see if you can see any-or the egg clusters stuck to the base of the feathers.
regards, David

 

[snifter]

Always worth bathing the rear end if a chook has a dirty vent. I tend to trim the feathers round it then also to help keep it clean.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your advice: I've washed her bottom this morning and once the feathers were dry they seem to have stayed clean all day. I had a good look at the vent which seemed clean and I couldn't see signs of lice: unless the one or two tiny dots could have been eggs? She seems quite lively but hasn't laid an egg - perhaps I'm worrying needlessly!