Egg-less?? Question

[bcmama]

I have a four year old BR hen (feed store) that has been inconsistent with laying this last year. If she lays an egg it is usually a fart egg. But today, late in the afternoon, she was walking around and squatted and shot out yolk (liquid eggs). The other chickens were right behind her eating it. She just went on her way as if nothing happened. What's going on, as I have no idea. Usually if I get a shell-less egg it has a membrane on it and the hen is in the nest. I take it that this was a shell-less fart egg?

 

[azygous]

At four years old, a hen is winding down her egg laying career. Some lay regularly until age six or seven, but usually by age four, a hen will lay fewer eggs, and there is also likely to be complications in the quality. What's going on with your hen is quite common for her age.

It's also possible that she's having an "off" season and next year, after molt and a rest, she could lay regularly again for another year.