One lonely hen left. And she might be sick :(

[Chikenshiken]

I only found capsules (those with edible plastic). How could i give her those? Is the plastic bad for her?

Is she still eating? If she’s eating you can open the capsule and sprinkle it on to food. If she isn’t eating you can open the capsule, mix it with a small amount of water and syringe feed it to her

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The capsules are made of gelatin, won't hurt her. She can swallow a whole one, don't worry. A hen can swallow a whole mouse or frog. That egg could have come out in one piece and broken when it hit the ground or if she stepped on it. She still needs the calcium though.

 

[EdgeC]

I can only find ones that are pills/tablets, but I don't think i can get her to eat it. She usually only eats grass. She doesn't even want wheat seeds anymore. How can i get her to consume the tablet?

crush it and give her a mash (with water, mix her food with it if required)

 

[LaFleche]

I only found capsules (those with edible plastic). How could i give her those? Is the plastic bad for her?

It is edible, no worries.

 

[Lars Peter]

Is she still eating? If she’s eating you can open the capsule and sprinkle it on to food. If she isn’t eating you can open the capsule, mix it with a small amount of water and syringe feed it to her

She is still eating, and she seems a bit better today. More like her old self. Getting her to eat the pill was close to impossible though. We tried mixing it with creme fraiche and her favourite snack (grass), but she did not like it. We tried with a syringe, which "kinda" worked, but it was a mess, and it got everywhere. At the end, I doubt she even got half of the calcium

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is still eating, and she seems a bit better today. More like her old self. Getting her to eat the pill was close to impossible though. We tried mixing it with creme fraiche and her favourite snack (grass), but she did not like it. We tried with a syringe, which "kinda" worked, but it was a mess, and it got everywhere. At the end, I doubt she even got half of the calcium

Hold her to you, pull down on the wattles to open the beak. Pop the capsule right into the beak an let her swallow.

Get her eating a nutritionally balanced poultry feed, provide some oyster shell free choice. Limit all the goodies/treats.

The calcium will hopefully firm up her shells and make it easier for her to expel/lay them.
Very possible that she may have a reproductive problem like Salpingitis (Lash Egg). The blobs in the photo look similar, but without seeing the inside, hard to tell.

Since you do have vet care, take a sample of her poop to the vet to see if she needs dewormed.

At her age, she may be starting to have some reproductive problems, but with supportive care (eating poultry feed, keeping parasites under control, etc.) often a hen can live for a good while longer.

At what stage to let her go - that's up to you depending on your goals.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Lars Peter]

Just sit her on your lap head facing front, grab her wattles with your left hand and tug down. She will open her beak and you can immediately slip the entire tablet inside using your other hand and then let go of her wattles so she can swallow.

If she is squirmy, bundle her up in a towel first.

She is doing better today. Eating, scraping, talking, drinking, and she has also made several normal poops. However, when i checked on her just now she made a very runny, yellowish poop (similar color to yolk but mixed with poop).

I tried your technique, and just give her the calcium capsule whole, and it worked! However, today i checked the nesting box, and she has made yet another shell-less egg mess... How long do you think before the calcium will take effect?

 

[LaFleche]

tried your technique, and just give her the calcium capsule whole, and it worked! However, today i checked the nesting box, and she has made yet another shell-less egg mess... How long do you think before the calcium will take effect?

It can take several days to weeks to even months of supplementing depending on how depleted her calcium deposits are.

To form eggshells chickens will draw calcium even from their bones when they can not get enough from their diet. So in addition to the shell-less eggs they will often show syptoms of lameness and dizziness too.

 

[Lars Peter]

It can take several days to weeks to even months of supplementing depending on how depleted her calcium deposits are.

To form eggshells chickens will draw calcium even from their bones when they can not get enough from their diet. So in addition to the shell-less eggs they will often show syptoms of lameness and dizziness too.

It has been a few days now, and she seems to have gotten much better However, this morning she laid an "shell-less" egg with visible shell, which is more than previous. I keep giving her the 500 mg calcium citrate capsules. I might have misunderstood something, but isn't 500 mg of calcium not even enough for a splinter of eggshell? I mean... when you think about the amount of "matter" in an eggshell, 500mg does not seem like much. Should i up her dosis?

 

[LaFleche]

Should i up her dosis?

You can try and give double dosis every other day, but no longer than 2-4 times as too much calcium has negative effects on their kidneys.

I would add some vitamin C in form of some apple daily to a mash of Skyr, millet, grated carrots, fine oats and a bit of germ oil.
You can also add all of the above to her usual layer pellets creating a mash.

Instead of apple you can use just a pinch of Ascorbic acid.