Are young Orpingtons prone to shell problems?

[gachroni]

I got a juvenile Jubilee Orpington last July, and then a lavender Orpington pullet in October. In November the Jubilee started laying. The shells were rough instead of smooth but the eggs seemed fine. She stopped laying around February, when we started seeing shell-less eggs appearing on a daily basis. I wasn't sure if it was the Jubilee or the lavender laying these, so I switched to a layer pellet (I had them on higher protein pellets before). There had been oyster shell available to them 24/7 this whole time. A month ago the Jubilee starting laying about one egg a week, then she got nabbed by a racoon just feet away from the chicken run. Now I know it was the lavender laying the shell-less eggs because that's all we're getting now. She acts perky and is very active in the chicken run (not letting her out any more for the time being). I don't see issues with her poop, and I am just perplexed. I never had Orpingtons before this, and read somewhere that they are late bloomers with egg production, so could this just be that she is not really ready? She doesn't let me pick her up, so I am limited in my observations. I would appreciate any insights and/or advice.

 

[FrostRanger]

Sounds like she might have a reproductive issue going on. It's not really an Orpington thing, just a thing that can happen to any hen from time to time. I'd grab her off the roost at night and give her a calcium citrate + d3 tablet for a few days and see if that helps

 

[gachroni]

Thanks, I will get some and see if I can handle her. I've never tried to give a pill to a chicken. What is the technique for that?

 

[FrostRanger]

Pull down on her wattles to open her mouth and pop the pill in, she'll swallow it