Any ideas to help a hen laying eggs that are too big for her?

[KYTinpusher]

Does anyone have an idea about how to help a chicken that lays eggs that are too big? She is about 2 YO and was a very consistent layer last year. She is an OE - EE x Marans. Her eggs were always big, but not overly so. Since she started laying again this spring, it is very sporadic and her eggs are getting huge! The last was bigger than my turkey's eggs and had blood streaked on it. I see her in the nest box almost every day, but only get about 1 egg/week or less. I am thinking the longer it takes her to lay her egg, the larger it gets, the more it hurts and the more reluctant she is to lay another one. Any ideas? I do use homeopathy if anyone knows a remedy that might help.

 

[azygous]

As hens grow older, the egg size increases. There's not a thing you can do about it.

I have a four-year old EE in the same boat. I could barely get the lid closed on the egg box her eggs were so huge. This season, she began laying tiny eggs, then stopped all together. It's as if her egg laying unit completely wore out.

About the only thing you can do is to make sure she has plenty of calcium and vitamin D3 to ensure her egg shells are strong enough to withstand the pressure of laying. The big risk will be having an egg break open inside her and cause peritonitis.