Could use advise on 1 of my chicks

[pamelagallant]

I have 5 chickens - they are all approximately 1 year old - americana, andalusin, maran, buff and plymouth rock. They all started laying eggs about 8 months ago; all about the same time. I've had no problems until the past few months - the americana stopped laying except for an egg every 3-4 weeks and those are either all broken shells by the time I get to them or they are fully formed soft/almost gelatinous eggs found sometimes in the box and sometimes where she roosts. I don't know how to diagnosis this. The other chickens seem to be doing fine-their eggs are firm and formed. Is this chicken sick based on the change from being a good egg layer to her current state or is it her genetic 'wiring' and I shouldn't expect her to lay another normal egg? thank you.

 

[lightchick]

Maybe she needs more calcium.

 

[azygous]

I hate to break this to you, but it does not bode well for her egg laying career. When a hen is having shell issues at such a young age, it may well indicate she has problems in her shell gland.

I have two such hens. But their problems didn't show up until they were closer to two years, if I remember right. I tried everything to boost their calcium intake. Yogurt, cabbage, fermented feed, and lately, kefir.

Nothing seems to work. The shells are as you describe, thin and sometimes just a membrane. The eggs get smashed under the weight of other hens in the nest if I don't gather eggs continuously and sometimes they get laid from the roost early in the morning.

The egg making process is very complex, and at any of the stages, things may go wrong. The shell making stage is especially delicate. If it's not performed at the right time of the day at the proper interval from the yolk being released, the calcium isn't adequate to make a proper shell. That's over simplifying it, but maybe it will give you the idea.

Some chicken keepers cull such hens. Then there are the chicken pet keepers. It's heartbreaking when your favorite hen turns out to have such a problem with no real solution. I'm very sorry.