Egg laid with no shell or membrane

[K C]

Please advise regarding a four-year-old bantam frizzled Cochin who laid a beautiful, large egg this morning that had NO membrane or shell. Her shells have been thinner recently (last six or so eggs). Also, I found two lash eggs in the coop early morning in the past 7–10 days (but don't know whose they were). Yesterday morning I found a very thin-shelled egg of hers crushed and partially eaten below the roost bar. No existing or known health issues, and no previous laying issues. In fact, she's been my best layer overall. Flaked oyster shell and grit are available free choice 24/7. They are on organic layer pellets plus fresh daily picked greens and a little bit of scratch and peck (about 3/4 of a cup total for eight bantam hens that includes black oil sunflower seeds, meal worms, small amount of whole organic corn and small amount of organic split peas). Suggestions? Thank you.

 

[paddock36]

My hens just never seemed to eat the oyster shell, so I would mix some in their food. That always solved my soft shell problems.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Not unusual for hens to start having shell issues as they get older. I'd give her half a calcium citrate tablet daily and see if that solves the shelling issue. If it does you can ease back on frequency.

The lash egg is another issue, and you'd want to figure out who dropped them before considering treatment. Salpingitis can be bacteral or viral, antibiotics can treat the former but not the latter.

 

[K C]

My hens just never seemed to eat the oyster shell, so I would mix some in their food. That always solved my self shell problems.

Thanks

 

[K C]

Not unusual for hens to start having shell issues as they get older. I'd give her half a calcium citrate tablet daily and see if that solves the shelling issue. If it does you can ease back on frequency.

The lash egg is another issue, and you'd want to figure out who dropped them before considering treatment. Salpingitis can be bacteral or viral, antibiotics can treat the former but not the latter.

Thank you. Much appreciated.

 

[g0vtmule]

Thanks

I'm seeing this in one of my 2yo Barred Rocks. The no shell thing has been happening for the past several days. I just read about Infectious Bronchitis in Chickens and wondering of this may be the cause. I have noticed she has a wheez in her breathing. The article talked about vaccination, but not much on what to do if they have it - How to resolve it, or if its life threatening. Thanks in advance

 

[K C]

Not unusual for hens to start having shell issues as they get older. I'd give her half a calcium citrate tablet daily and see if that solves the shelling issue. If it does you can ease back on frequency.

The lash egg is another issue, and you'd want to figure out who dropped them before considering treatment. Salpingitis can be bacteral or viral, antibiotics can treat the former but not the latter.

Update: After reading/researching lash eggs and the potential for salpingitis you mentioned, I think I was in error by describing lash eggs that I found twice in about two weeks. What I found doesn't seem to fit the description or photos for a lash egg, but does seem to simply be shell-less and/or membrane-less eggs. The remains I found under the roost bar on both of them were the clear colors of egg yolk and white, simply no evidence of shell. At least one had some membrane (likely the rest eaten by other hens with the eggs themselves). Nothing about them looked like the photos in articles I found, including one by a certified poultry vet. That being the case, I'm thinking that they were likely from the same four-year-old hen who laid the shell-less and membrane-less egg the other day, but I simply didn't realize it was her. Treating with calcium and will see what happens. I don't think she fits the profile for salpingitis, at least not at this point. She has not laid again since that last egg that prompted me to make my original post here above. Hopefully the next egg will be normal. Thanks for your input. Any other suggestions are appreciated.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Update: After reading/researching lash eggs and the potential for salpingitis you mentioned, I think I was in error by describing lash eggs that I found twice in about two weeks. What I found doesn't seem to fit the description or photos for a lash egg, but does seem to simply be shell-less and/or membrane-less eggs. The remains I found under the roost bar on both of them were the clear colors of egg yolk and white, simply no evidence of shell. At least one had some membrane (likely the rest eaten by other hens with the eggs themselves). Nothing about them looked like the photos in articles I found, including one by a certified poultry vet. That being the case, I'm thinking that they were likely from the same four-year-old hen who laid the shell-less and membrane-less egg the other day, but I simply didn't realize it was her. Treating with calcium and will see what happens. I don't think she fits the profile for salpingitis, at least not at this point. She has not laid again since that last egg that prompted me to make my original post here above. Hopefully the next egg will be normal. Thanks for your input. Any other suggestions are appreciated.

Sounds good. If you are ever uncertain, collect the membrane/lump and cut it open and snap some photos. Lash eggs are easy to identify if we can see the interior.

 

[K C]

Sounds good. If you are ever uncertain, collect the membrane/lump and cut it open and snap some photos. Lash eggs are easy to identify if we can see the interior.

Will do. Thanks again for the dialogue. Much appreciated.