Soft shelled egg - Help!

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I have had my 8 hybrid chickens for the last 9 days and they have been laying anything from 5 to 7 eggs per day. The 8 of them have adapted well as they have come from a free range breeder, but as they are 72 weeks they were too old as their eggs are too big for the super market chain. We have converted them from mash to layer pellets with no problems. They are out of the coop all day and are in a grassed area.

This morning though when I opened the coop one of the chickens at first did not want to come out. She was very larthargic and had a bit of a dirty runny bum. She didnt eat all day but she did drink water with apple cider vinegar in it. By 6 oclock though she did lay a soft shelled perfect egg.

I need help as she is still larthargic. I have had so many different bits of advice that I am so confused as to what it could be. They all have access to grit and oyster shell. The weather yesterday was intermittentant showers her comb is upright.

I have been told that she needs worming,
or
it could be her crop may be soft in which case to hold her by her two feet upside down and see if whe reguritates her food,
or
her crop is hard in which case she may need to be dispatched
or
she was frightened by an unexpected downpour in which case after 24 hrs she willl lay again

I apreciate any help given as bew to chicken keeping
 
Not sure about the advice you have been given but Is it possible she is egg bound? Here is some information that may help you http://www.lakelandbirdkeepers.co.uk/signs_of_an_eggbound_hen__treat.htm

this is also an informative thread from another forum http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10223&highlight=soft+shell

hope this helps i know you are worried :) xx
 
thanks I have read both, I will have to see what she is like in the morning, I wsnt the miracle, we will see x
 
Who gives out advice such as holding them upside down etc.

Your high yielding hens are at an age where they will lay the occasional soft shelled egg. Pullets often do this when they come into lay.

It is unlikely to be anything you've done or haven't done. They are still settling in and getting used to you and a new system. Also things they've never had before such as cider vinegar.

Keep an eye on her and remember they are living things and have off days like us.
 
Chuck said:
Who gives out advice such as holding them upside down etc.

Your high yielding hens are at an age where they will lay the occasional soft shelled egg. Pullets often do this when they come into lay.

It is unlikely to be anything you've done or haven't done. They are still settling in and getting used to you and a new system. Also things they've never had before such as cider vinegar.

Keep an eye on her and remember they are living things and have off days like us.
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errm...I think what Chuck was trying to say was, generally holding a chicken upside down to see if it vomits isn't really helpful... the advice you were given may have been either misinterpreted or possibly misgiven. some poultry keepers will treat a chicken with crop condition by administering oils or warm water to the crop opening and massaging the contents and encouraging it out the hens mouth. but this is not something for a novice to try and generally should be done by a vet if you are not experienced. Really not the best advice basically.

I also agree give it time, but from the sounds of the other poorly behaviour, it's possibly more than just a bad day, as from the sounds of it this has been going on after a week in new conditions. Unfortunately not all hens cope well with new surroundings and some do not survive. but give her the benefit of the doubt i think and ride it out. most importantly speak to a vet at the first instance you are concerned. a little jab of antibiotics might just give her a little boost to get through the stressful period. :) hope this helps.
 
I always wonder why with 200 birds here I rarely get many of the problems that occur in small flocks of less than ten birds. I have a feeling that it's because mine are kept in a much more simple fashion with no extras or additives and rarely need antibiotics.
 
Chuck said:
I always wonder why with 200 birds here I rarely get many of the problems that occur in small flocks of less than ten birds. I have a feeling that it's because mine are kept in a much more simple fashion with no extras or additives and rarely need antibiotics.
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do you vaccinate your birds? can you guarantee the birds in these smaller holdings aren't inbred? I find generally in large holdings you get less issues because there are better pecking orders and a better ratio for issues to rear their heads. with a small flock you tend to 'notice' things more...
I'm sure if all birds were kept like yours they would all surely be the healthiest birds alive and perfect! :-)17 ;)
Unfortunately because of nature, not all birds are the same. By breed, shape, size, age, health, care, heritage etc... they all react and respond differently to life and you can't put them all in a barn, feed, water and hope. but i like the idea of it. :D
 
Parock40, firstly congratulations on getting your hens, particulary spent free range hens :D :-)99

Ex commerical hens live their lifes in a strict routine, and have done for 72 weeks, a fair old time! Any change to their routine i.e. moving home.. is likely to cause a slight upset to their systems and this will present in either egg laying or the birds appearing a little stressed, if this is the case then typically you would start noticing this around a week or two. It is worth noting that commercial hens due to their vigorous laying are prone to laying problems, this doesn't mean to say that yours will have an issue, this is just a watchout, good husbandry and a balanced diet can usually pre-empt a lot of these problems.

Firstly don't panic! Bearing in mind the above the odd soft shell is not unexpected. One thing to note is that laying a soft shelled egg can make a chicken appear a bit "peaky" it takes far more effort to lay a soft shelled egg than a hard shelled egg.

Some advice for now...feed only layers...NO treats or mixed corn, at least for now. To help their calcium levels add a teaspoon of "poultry spice" available from most agr outlets. Have a small pot of quality oyster shell available they will take ad lib once they work out where it is! A very good mash to consider is the small holders range they have one designed for exbatts you might want to have a look at.

Develop a regime and stick to it.

Things to bear in mind..this time of year the days get shorter and this will stimulate two things 1. Moulting 2. Natural reduction in egglaying. Both are perfectly normal.

Finally enjoy your hens and those delicious eggs they lay for you!
 
i agree with Foxy, very helpful (and kind) advice. I'd only add that it would be a good idea to enquire forn their previous owner when they were last wormed, and if it was more than 4-5 months ago, to give all of them a course of Flubenvet. They need this every 6 months in any case. As they've been freeranging they're quite likely to have picked up worm cysts from any earthworms they've eaten on ground which has been used for chickens for some time, and these will tend to make them lose condition if not kept under control. Also, if you nip the problem in the bud early, fewer worm eggs will be deposited on your nice clean ground via their droppings. If you look in the chickens Health section of the Forum there's a good article aboiut Flubenvet which may interest you. See http://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-medication/poultry-medication/flubenvet-used-for-worming.html (but be aware that t's about the 2.5% dosage which is not usually available to hobby poultrykeepers, we have to buy the 1.2% stuff, and there are also easier ways to administer it to a small flock of pet hens.)

I hope she's feeling a bit brighter today - it must be a real upheaval for a hen, to have to suddenly change homes to a totally new [place, however nice it is when she gets there1
 
Good News Everyone, I have got up this morning and she is back to her bright and bubbly self. She came rushing out the coop this morning and was pecking my wellies like she normally does. She has been feeding well today and so am very relieved.

I am so grateful to everyone for all of your advice and thoughts on my thread, and have taken on board all the advice.

In this day and age it is good to know that there are people out there who care enough and take the time to give advice
thanks all xx
 
Parock40 said:
Good News Everyone, I have got up this morning and she is back to her bright and bubbly self. She came rushing out the coop this morning and was pecking my wellies like she normally does. She has been feeding well today and so am very relieved.

I am so grateful to everyone for all of your advice and thoughts on my thread, and have taken on board all the advice.

In this day and age it is good to know that there are people out there who care enough and take the time to give advice
thanks all xx
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Excellent news! so pleased for you and little chookey! :D
 
Even better news the chickens have settled in and all 8 are laying!!
 
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