Ameraucana feathers look horrible and laying soft shelled eggs? Help!

[jessicam95]

My almost 2 yr. old Ameraucana has been laying soft shelled eggs for the past 2-3 months very frequently, I know that means she needs calcium but none of the other flock is having this problem. A little less than a month ago her feathers started to look weird and now they look like this! I have no idea what this means but I would like any advise or information about what I can do to help her! Thank in advance!

 

[chooks4life]

You may want to check her over very carefully for feather-eating lice or mites etc...

Either way she's in moult it seems, looks like an overdue one too. That can require more calcium and protein.

Some diseases, parasites, injuries etc can all rob a hen of her calcium reserves... Even if she never showed an obvious injury, she could still be dealing with a broken rib for example which is taking her cal-mag reserves... If she was ill, particularly with a respiratory disease, even short-term, that can still do it.

Are you allowing her ad-lib access to calcium, or only what is present in the feed? I'd give them fine shell grit or some other calcium supplement, like eggshells, to be sure it's not just the feed failing to support her changing needs.

Best wishes.