Eggs all over and more...help

[VioletBlueIvy]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first post. I aquired my first chickens in August, and have had no problems at all until now, can't figure it out, maybe you experienced chicken people can!
I have 6 hens, breed is quote "something reds" but they are definately not Rhode Island Reds, this is their second winter, and 1 rooster, Rhode Island Red, First Winter.
They live in an 8x8 coop. One long wooden crate for a nest. Roosts in the corner, 3 tiers.
I feed them layer pellets, free choice, and give them scratch and scraps daily.
I have kept a red heat light on in their coop since fall, and they have laid well all winter so far.

Now the problems......
They usually lay between 5 and 7 eggs a day. Then one day there were only three eggs, covered in egg yolk and albumen. This continued for three days, then it stopped.
A few weeks later, I found eggs all over the floor, a couple were broken. Some in the nest. This happened twice.
The next day there were only two eggs, one was all soft, it wasnt fully formed yet, on the floor. One had a funny pucker on the side of it the size of the yolk inside and was flattened, it was in the nest.
I hung another nest up at this point, I can tell they are getting in it, but I have only found an egg in it once.
Then a few days of more eggs on the floor, none broken. Some in the nest.
I have been debating letting them molt, I just leared their age and that they should be allowed to molt their second year, so I unplugged their light, figured that wold fix it!
The next day, seven eggs, all in the nest.
Then the rest of the week there have been eggs on the floor and in the nest. Varying numbers. None broken.
Yesterday two eggs, on the floor. One slat on the bottom of the crate came loose and let go on one side, the chicken wire lining it had somehow been pulled out and was on the floor under the roost, and the hay scattered everywhere. I replaced that crate with a plastic milk crate in the same place.
This morning, three eggs on the floor.
AND as I was on my egg hunt the rooster went after one of the hens. I grabbed him and held him a minute, then put him down and finished getting the eggs and turned to go, and saw on of the girls on her side on the floor, one wing extended, not bearing any weigt on one leg. I piked her up and folded up her wing and she was shivering, so I brought her in and put her in the tub on a towel, she is eating and drinking, she can put weight on the leg, and did when I pick her up and put her dawn, but then she pulls it up to her body and stands on one leg or lies down.
SO,
Anybody have an idea what is going on?! Sorry for the long post.

 

[Andi]

I'm no expert here. This is only a guess. The first thing that comes to my mind is mites or lice in the boxes and on the chickens. I wonder if they are feeling irritated when they are in the nests and doing some serious scratching to get the irritant out of the box. Seeing it wasn't working they started laying out of the boxes. If they are infested with mites or lice they probably feel crummy and are more prone to being picked on. The one you brought in may have been getting the worst of the being picked on.

My suggestion is to look for lice and mites.

Best of luck!

 

[Andi]

I forgot to add that if their bodies immune system has been fighting parasites that might explain the funky eggs. You could also try upping their calcium and protein. Add a little vegetable oil wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Andi]

Oh, and welcome to BYC!

 

[gsim]

From Tennessee.

Be patient. There is a pool of experienced poultry lovers on this site, some of who have been through what you are now seeing. You will get answers enough to give you direction. The idea of mites is a sound one. They can infect a flock in wintertime. Keep the injured chook inside and away from the others until she gets her legs back under her. Give her time, maybe two weeks.

I had to put one down that may have suffered a mid-air collision with another one. I never knew what caused it but she never recovered enough to hobble around. She could not stand up ever and I had to put her down. I had another one get that way after they were all 3 months old and in the coop. She is a runt barred rock and she limps to this day. I never knew what happened, but suspected a collision of some sort. (They were confined to the coop for around 10 days after leaving their boxes as I had not yet finished their run. I figured on a mid-air collision for her too seeing no blood or bullying going on.)

 

[fordmommy]

from Wisconsin. But sorry no advice.

 

[HEChicken]

I see that you are offering free choice food and scraps but didn't see a mention of Oyster Shell? They need this for the calcium (all that egg shell requires a lot of calcium) and a lack of it could explain the soft-shelled egg you found. I would offer it free choice alongside the food. They seem to know when they need it and help themselves. The mites/lice idea sounds like a good one. You could do a search on here to find out more information about how to treat, and keep in mind that you will not be able to eat eggs for a certain period of time after doing the treatment.

 

[sojeo]

We had the same problem for awhile so I bought the oyster shell and was giving them a little at a time. They pick all the large pieces out and then leave the dust. I thought that they didn't want anymore because of all the stuff still in the bowl, but the soft eggs continued. So, now I realize what they are doing and fill the bowl right up to the top whenever it starts to get low and no more soft eggs at all. I actually need to go out and buy another bag of it they are going through it so fast.

 

[snowflake]

not sure about the eggs all over the place ,but I do think having the heat lamp on all the time is not good. I did that at the beginning of winter and my birds seemed agitated (I don't think they get enough sleep) any how I turned the light off. and they seemed much happier . I think winter is a good time for them to rest, they still lay just not a many as in summer.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

and

from Alaska