Help Please!!

[KathJ]

I'm at work and my hubbie has called me to say there seems to be a problem with one of our girls. She's our livliest and most friendliest girl but he said this morning she seems really lathargic and keeps closing her eyes. We just wondered whether the wind had kept her awake as it was really bad here last night and she was tired but he's now called to say she's just standing there and her vent is pulsating. She's layed regularly every day lovely big eggs but on Tuesday I found one that looked like her's just half buried in the mud and yesterday there was a really strange shaped one and wer're wondering if this was her's too. Hubby's at home on his own not sure what to do, any advice please?

[redd_angel55]

She could be egg bound? A warm bath could help dislodge the egg. I hope she'll be back to her normal self again soon!

[LisaB]

Hi Kath


To me it sounds like she's egg bound/struggling to lay a softy.

A warm bath is good - fill a bowl/sink/bath with warm water (quite warm, but not hot), deep enough to cover her vent and let her relax in it for 10-20 minutes - she will need drying off after, a hair dryer on the lowest setting does the job.

If still no egg after this, usually I keep them inside in a box/crate on a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel (but will need room to move if she's too hot).

Hopefully she will pass it soon

[manda]

If your hubby isn't up to bathing her...just use the hot water bottle and sit her on that ...it will do the same thing (relax the muscles)...just give her room to be able to move away if she needs to.

Also give her some extra calcium either limestone flour or something like caclivet...it will help the egg shells harden and it will also help the muscles move things through (they need the calcium to work efficiently).

[KathJ]

Thanks for your help guys. Panic over I think as after a lot a straining she's just laid in the middle of the lawn. Do you think this was a 'one off' or she may struggle again tomorrow?

[Annie]

She may be on a run of difficult eggs to lay,do as Manda suggest and add one of the 2 products mentioned to her feed. Limestone flour is readily availablefrom horse feed/equestrian stores, the other product I am not sure, maybe online ?

[KathJ]

The didn't have any limestone flour in stock where I normally get my chicken stuff from locally so I've just ordered some Calcivet online which should come in a couple of days. I'll try some ground egg shells in the meantime. Thanks everyone - oh they are a worry sometimes wouldn't be without them though

[KathJ]

It's just over a month ago that I posted this item and when I got home last night I could tell straight away that Ranger wasn't right and the symptoms were exactly as before. When I let them out to FR she came out but just stood all hunshed up and could barely keep her eyes open. After Manda's suggestion before I got a hot water bottle and sat her on my knee (luckily she likes to do this anyway), she stayed for about 10 minutes and then wanted to get off so I followed her and she went into the nest box. We'd had an egg off her in the morning so she wasn't due to lay again but obviously she was having some discomfort somewhere, I went and checked on her a few times of the next couple of hours and she was just kind of slumped to one side of the next box and could barely open her eyes. I was really worried but didn't know what else I could do. It's so distressing when you can see they're not themselves but don't know what to do I went up again about 9pm and two of the other girls had gone into the coop with her and when I lifted the lid Ranger was standing up which looked like an improvement. She then followed the other two back out and had a drink and a bit of a walk round which seemed encouraging and when she went back in she was at least perching instead of slumping in the nest box. I was dreading what I'd find this morning but when I went to the gate she came bounding up right as rain I looked in the nest box but there was no egg which I thought a bit strange but after cleaning round the run I found and empty soft shell so that had obviously been the problem. After the last time I got them some Calcivet but stopped using it after a couple of days as she seemed to go back to normal straight away but I've now added it to the water again today.
Does anyone think that the calcium could be a problem? We've had perfectly good eggs from her before and since the last problem in April - no softies and even a could of double yokers?

[jackian]

One of my girls Rosie had a similar problem I thought we were going to lose her ,she was all hunched up and hiding under a bush for safety ..She was laying soft eggs and after good advice on here I added limestone flour to their treats (could not give to one and not others) and it did take a month or so but she is now back to normal .

[KathJ]

Hi Jackian, I thought I'd try to get some Limestone Flour this week as I've read it a lot on here but they didn't have it last time at my normal suppliers. Do you give it every day and how much? I thought I could add it to their mash in the morning as they devour that every day

[jackian]

Hi Kathyj, In with their mash would be fine.I usually just mix in about a couple of teaspoons between 4 (at a guess, ) It is usually I have read on here meant for baby horses to strengthen their bones.You can get it from horse suppliers.
The other thing is cod liver oil ,only a little bit as you don't want fishy eggs .