Chicken only laying shell-less eggs, if at all, for at least a week and a half. Was laying normal.

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6RandomBrownLayers

6RandomBrownLayers

Chirping
8 Years
Nov 23, 2011
135
3
91
So here's the deal, my 30 week old Delaware pullet was the first one my chickens to lay. Her first egg was sometime in mid-late February. She was laying pretty consistently until last week, maybe Monday or Tuesday I noticed it and it became more regular. I had gotten a couple shell-less eggs before but figured she was just working out the kinks. Lately some eggs have just the membrane or she just squirts out the yolk and white. I have found membranes in the coop and yolk/white spots in the shavings. I know it is her because as I was closing the coop for the night I heard something like water hitting the floor. At first I thought it was a really watery poop but discovered it to be an egg. I have tried giving her oyster shell but she doesn't really eat it. I have heard not to feed it too much because it can damage kidneys, not sure if that is true. My main question is what can I do to get her to lay? She was in some discomfort last week I think but not since then. Any help is greatly appreciated!

P.S. I only posted now because I thought she would work it out on her own but not yet.
 
They eat layer mash and free range all day, from about 745 or 8am to 715pm. They have unlimited access to the mash and have water outside the coop. The eat bugs, grass and other stuff chickens eat while free ranging. I throw scratch out for them every few days.
 
You might want to consider a 'therapy' program for her.

1. try to incorporate more calcium in her feed. Mix shredded cheese, or cottage cheese or yogurt with some layer mash. I believe that in the Gail Damerow book, I even read (or some chicken book) that powdered milk could be added to the feed. If you use yogurt it will become sticky and any other things you add will stick to the layer pellets or crumbles or mash.

2. Add 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to her water. It helps the pH of the chickens digestive system absorb nutrients, thinking of calcium in particular.

3. Crush egg shells and feed them back to the chickens. Mine like eggshells better than oyster shells....dunno why.

4. Consider some chicken vitamins -- or be sure that there is plenty of Vitamin D3. I got a pkg at Walmart for human consumption. I crush a tiny tablet and mix with their feed.

5. Lay off the treats (any treats that don't contain calcium)

I have been hearing so much about soft-shells, and shell-less eggs lately...

I have one that will produce them...and just when I think all is fine...she will do it again. Today I was wondering if the feed recipe errored off and they accidentally were shorting the calcium portion of the feed. My two Barred Plymouth Rocks have been laying for about 11-months, so they shouldn't have that old-hen = softer shells problem. I'm kind of mystified. If I do the above 'therapy', then she will be fine, If I just let nature take it's course, then she seems to have trouble producing a good shell.

I think that a BPR generally lays an egg every-other-day. When she is laying daily, maybe she is not able to produce a shell...

Another poster in another thread had a shell-less and a shelled egg every other day...and I thought that the hen needed a re-set on her egg production. I have heard that a day or two in a dark environment (really reduced light, but plenty of feed and water) can reset the hen. I think I may try that next on this girl. Good luck with the shell issue.
 
I haven't found any sign of an egg (shell-less or otherwise) so I was wondering if she might have a hidden nest?
 
I have a troubled laying hen! I received a full-sized (broken) soft-shell eggs this morning.
Could it have something to do with our weird weather?

We have had a crazy heat wave here and this Amblin (?) Link has rarely laid a normal egg: Either small or soft.
The other of this breed I have has been consistent, perfect, daily egg-layer.
 
I'm having the same problem with shell-less eggs. It started when my 8 hens started molting. Could this be a contributor to the shell-less eggs? I purchased a feather fixer feed today and I'm hoping it helps. Since they've started molting, the egg production dropped from 5-6 daily, to one or two every other day. And usually, one of them is shell-less.
 

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