Hen just dropped 2 soft shell eggs, Plus she is loosing feathers. Need advise

[Carm Jean]

I have a hen who normally lays nice size egg that have a nice thick shell. But tonight she just laid 2 soft shell eggs while on the roost. I put white paper under them because I want to see what all the poop looks like and if there are any issues, like blood or worms. Anyway I go out to collect my eggs for the day about 7:45pm And on the paper is this broken soft shell egg under a hen who I suspect may have mites, but I don't see any. I have 2 other hens who I thought the Roo was being a little rough with so all 3 have saddles on. But their feathers are very slow growing. Now a second hen has feathers missing on her head too. So tonight I treated them for mite. I noticed my soft shell hen had watery diarrhea with yellow in it that looked like the egg may have broken in her. Well I went back out to check on her and on the floor under her is another soft shell egg but this one did not break till it hit the ground. But my hen still looks like she is passing some of the egg yolk with clear liquid. Could Mites cause this. Plus my Roo has been being very mean to her. He chases her away and wont let her eat and has pecked a bloody spot on her head. I have treated that too. I'm hoping that if this is mite related she will get better and the Roo will leave her alone. I will get more egg shells ground and get more Oyster shell tomorrow for her. All my chickens are free range and there is food in the run that is open to them during the day. I am not sure what else to do to help her.

 

[Poultry Kitten]

The reason your hens are loosing feathers may be because of the Roo picking at them in the night just to tear off feathers but not drawl blood. I use something called “pick no more” and apply it to the spots where I suspect they are being pecked.

As for the leathery eggs if this has happened only once then I would not worry sometimes hens will drop soft shelled eggs or other eggs with deformations so I wouldn’t worry too much if it only happened once. If it consistently is happening then it may be a worry. I would recommend apple cider vinegar for all of your chickens it is a great supplement to have for them. There may also be a chance she is sick you may want to separate her from the others. I hate to say this but I had a hen with some alike symptoms and I tried everything from apple cider vinegar to Epsom salt baths but I had to put her down. If you are very attached to this hen I would recommend going to a vet near you that could check her out.

My best wishes, I hope this helps

 

[Carm Jean]

If the Roo would let her eat, But he will not let her be near the other hens except on the roost. But the moment she comes down he chases and attacks her. I stopped him today and locked her in the run for a few minutes so she could eat. But the moment she went out side he was right there to attack her. She has now hidden again for the second day in a row and Im afraid she is getting no food or water even though I put some out near where I think she is hiding. I treated them all for mites just in case and I did use the Pick no more on her last night. But it did not stop the roo this morning. If she does not get better in a day or 2 I will take her to a vet if I can find one.
Oh and ACV is always in their water until the weather gets over 95* Then I stop the ACV till the temps here come down again.

 

[aart]

I'd cut out the ACV, it can inhibit calcium absorption.
I'd also segregate the male in a separate enclosure for a few weeks to give her a break and let her recover.

 

[Carm Jean]

I'd cut out the ACV, it can inhibit calcium absorption.
I'd also segregate the male in a separate enclosure for a few weeks to give her a break and let her recover.

I'm surprised. I did a lot of research on ACV before ever giving it to my baby chicks who are now 14 months old. This is what I found out.
I do agree with putting the roo up for a period of time. But I do not have a place for that. I have put the hen in my garage in a crate to sleep in at night and I let her out on my fenced patio during the day.

RESEARCH I found

Apple cider vinegar is a natural source of potassium, so can help regulate levels in your hens' bodies. Potassium controls the use of calcium in the body, allowing more calcium to be freely available to assist with eggshell production.

Apple cider vinegar (or ACV for short) is a type of vinegar made from crushed, fermented apples, yeast and sugar. It is made using the whole apple and provides enzymes and important minerals and vitamins in the form of Bioflavonoids. During the fermentation process, a thick gelatinous layer known as the ‘Mother’ is formed on the surface of the vinegar. It consists of dozens of beneficial bacteria that are often known as probiotics.

ACV is widely recognized as a great all-round tonic for hens with multiple health benefits. Studies have shown that hens receiving apple cider vinegar have been shown to regrow feathers faster than those who do not receive it. Which makes it the ideal supplement for your new ex-caged hens.

Apple cider vinegar aids digestion in chickens, helping to break down minerals and fats by assisting the assimilation of proteins, converting food more effectively and preventing sour crop. [LINK: https://www.bhwt.org.uk/health-welfare/hen-crop-issues/]

Apple Cider Vinegar helps lower the pH level in the digestive tract rendering it less welcoming to pathogens. It also creates a hostile environment for E.coli organisms as well as Coccidiosis