The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: melholly on June 08, 2015, 03:38:35 pm
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Hello all.
Hoping the more experienced amongst us may be able to assist. My little Pekin has been off laying for around 2 weeks. Thought it may be because her friend got taken by fox...
Anyway. She's started laying again but for the past week we've been getting eggs pale shelled, laid with a 'dent' in them, often with a bit of fluid leaking out.
Any clues?
Thanks
Melanie
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Might be delayed reaction if she was around when Mr Fox came calling?
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I thought so too. She was actually in the mouth of the fox but my lab chased him and she was dropped!
Wonder what makes the eggs form like that though?! They seem bigger than what she laid previously, ok shell in terms of toughness but pale almost transparent with this soft dent?!
Xx
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oh poor dear. Its clearly shock. What a trauma: you are lucky she didn't have a heart attack.
Soft shells can be a sign of disease, or lack of calcium or worm load or even impending death. But take heart as a few of us on here regularly get soft-shells then all returns to normal...one of mine does this every 5/6 weeks.
Give her plenty of nutritious food, a tonic in her water, a bit of TLC and see how she is in a couple more weeks.
I take it that she still has other feathery friends? They are essential
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Thank you,
Yes she has 3 others to keep her company (should be 8 ...!) She's a bit of a loner but loves cuddles by my 7 year old!
Mx
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Hi there,
In my experience shock or disturbance will often cause a bird to go off lay for a while but miss shaped eggs I would be inclined to put down to some other "challenge" such as decease, infection of parasite. The trauma she has suffered will have left her under the weather and more susceptible to an infectious challenge. I hope she picks up soon.
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Thank you.
I'm getting a bit more worried about her. She's 'slow' and doesn't attach to the others. She has recently been wormed, has poultry tonic/ cider vinegar and has so much tlc as she's lovely and crouches down for cuddles all the time!
She's laying again. Every 2 days or so yet continually this pale almost transparent she'll, larger than in the past, but with the top bit dented - always exactly the same! The egg inside is quite 'watery'
Sigh. Another chicken mystery happening!
Mx
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Again, sounds like an infection challenge to me. If she has access to layers pellets I would be inclined to restrict her access to it and keep her on mixed corn if only in an attempt to discourage the egg production. I don't know how old she is but it might also be that she is just coming to her natural end, although I wouldn't expect her to be laying eggs every 2 days.