Chicken laying soft eggs

[Aussiechickener]

So I got this chicken a couple of months ago, I'm not sure exactly how old they are but they started moulting when I got them so I'm assuming theyre at least a year old. Because they were moulting they hadn't layed any eggs yet. Now that their moult is over they have started to lay this week, but all the eggs they've layed have been soft. They have access to grit and my other chickens are laying fine so I know it's not a calcium deficiency. Is there anything else that could he causing this, and is there something I can do to help?

 

[RobertaD1]

I would try adding access to oyster shell. It wont hurt them, and then you'll know. They may not of had enough before you got them.

 

[Aussiechickener]

So it's been a while and this girl still hasn't layed, not even soft shell eggs. She has access to shells and my other girls lay fine so it's not calcium related. Is it possible she's just coming into being too old to lay? Is there a way to tell a chickens age as an adult to see how old she is?

 

[aart]

She may just be slower to get going again...or she may be a dud.
It's pretty much impossible to tell a hens age.
What breed is she?

 

[Aussiechickener]

She may just be slower to get going again...or she may be a dud.
It's pretty much impossible to tell a hens age.
What breed is she?

She still sits in the box like she's going to lay, but there's never any eggs. She's an Australorp, which I know are good layers. She did have a hard moult, which I've never experienced before so I'm not sure if it takes longer to come back from that although her feathers have all come back about a month or two ago.

 

[aart]

She still sits in the box like she's going to lay, but there's never any eggs. She's an Australorp, which I know are good layers. She did have a hard moult, which I've never experienced before so I'm not sure if it takes longer to come back from that although her feathers have all come back about a month or two ago.

Is her comb good and red?
Is her belly swollen, from below vent to between legs?
Might check her pelvic points too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/

 

[rosemarythyme]

No real good way to confirm a chicken's age once they're adults. Older birds might look a little more worn around the edges, but nothing obvious.

I have a 4 yr old hen that retired from laying last year, and she does sometimes go into the nest boxes and sits for 40 minutes or so, like she's laying, but nothing happens.