[Railway Chickens]

The other morning I let the girls out but found one of them collapsed on the floor of the coop next to a soft shelled egg. She made no effort to get up, her legs were sticking out at an odd angle and her eyes were hardly open. Even when I picked her up she just remaind limp and would not support herself so I put her in the nest box fearing that I would have a task to do when I got back from work if she made it that far. To my surprise she was back to herself a couple of hours later and there have been no signs of anything since! Does anyone have any idea what may have gone on?

Thanks

[Mel Rice]

cant help your chook but I too had a hen off colour for a few days but is fine now.

Last week she had a floppy comb and seemed to separate herself from the others. She still ate and drank without problems. Two nights she didnt even make it up onto the perch but slept in the nest box. A week later she looks much happier, is around and sleeps with the others and her comb is (almost) errect!   I,m glad I didnt do the deed!

[kegs]

I think it's normal.  Laying a soft shelled really seems to take it out of them.  One of my hybrids laid a soft shell last week and afterwards staggered round the garden as if she was drunk, then she took herself of to the nest box for a few hours.  After that she recovered and was scratching round with the others as if nothing had happened.

[chrismahon]

I think its not the laying of the soft shelled egg that is the cause, but a symptom of being unwell in some way. Stress often triggers laying a soft shelled egg. Could be a tangle with anothet hen, trodden by a cockerel and injured, loud noises, low flying aircraft or an attempted break-in by a predator.

[kegs]

I've got one then who must be a very nervous chicken!  She's laid a soft shelled egg almost every day for a year! 

[chrismahon]

And then there are some predesposed to it Kegs, because of a problem in the ovaduct. We had a Bluebell like that and finally had to let her go because of the constant broken egg mess in the nest box. She got better for a while when she came out into the sunshine. A very nervous thing with dark skin and a lack of vitamin D was the probably cause. Only improved for a few months though.