Eggbound?

[fur-mum]

I've a 1 year old Easter Egger hen. She has been laying pretty reliably this year, but i'm getting a little worried. I've found 2 different eggs on the poop boards in the morning, once in February and one a couple weeks ago. She lays very strong thick shelled eggs most of the time, so I didn't think much of it except that she's young. Today when I was locking them back in the coop I noticed that she was acting different. More mopey, slower to react, not looking around like normal, standing still head and tail down. Didn't get a chance to catch her, she kept running off. So went out just now in the dark to check on her, and put her in my "broody breaking playpen". I found another soft shelled egg in the nest box, that she obviously laid in the last 3 hours. So I don't think she's eggbound based on that, but I'm not sure. Why would she go back and forth between super hard and super thin eggs? They get feather fixer feed and free choice oyster shell at all times. I don't give layer feed because of the chicks and rooster. What do I need to do for my baby? I'm worried about my Butters...

 

[rebrascora]

I would start giving her a direct dose of a calcium supplement, perhaps crushed and sprinkled onto some scrambled egg or in some yoghurt for a few days and see if that helps her. Soft shelled eggs are really hard for the bird to expel and take a lot out of them, exertion wise. Do you give them any treats like scratch/cracked corn? If so, I would replace with meal worms or cut out all treats apart from that with the calcium supplement and see how she does.

 

[fur-mum]

mostly treat wise they just get BOSS, the occasional scraps from the fridge. I will definitely try the mealworms, eggs, and calcium. Any particular type of calcium that would be better for absorption than another?

 

[fur-mum]

Her hard shelled eggs always have a very grainy surface, rough like it's been covered in sand. Is that indicative of anything?

 

[ChickNanny13]

I've read Tums, crushed up works

 

[fur-mum]

Sounds like a good idea. Thanks!

 

[ChickNanny13]

 

[fur-mum]

I gave her scrambled eggs with crushed up shells and oyster shell this morning. She was way more concerned that she wasn't with the rest of the flock than she was with the food. Pacing back and forth and squawking at me when I went out there. I'd say based on that she feels somewhat better today but I guess I'll have to wait and see. Keep trying to get more calcium into her.
I'm considering switching back to layer feed now because of this, how hard will it be on my rooster's kidneys? I know it's not great for them or youngsters either, but I don't know how I could possibly feed them separate?

 

[ChickNanny13]

I've read that even when on layer, some get egg bound Not wanting to have to buy a different age/stage feed, I switched to Flock Raiser, OS & grit in separate containers. I wasn't aware that Layer/calcium was bad for Roos/chicks until I read about it here