Hen Consistently Laying Shell-less Eggs

[CalBickieMomma]

Hello Chicken People,

I’ve posted about my egg shell problems before, but after switching to mostly Layer Pellets (as opposed to only All Flock with oyster shell/crushed egg shells available), AND trying calcium tablets as a supplement, my Hattie is now laying eggs without any shell at all (as opposed to thin shelled eggs that break as they are being expelled). I’ve come to the conclusion it must be a genetic thing because I can’t imagine she isn’t getting enough calcium.

Anyways, I’m wondering if anyone out there has ever had a hen who laid soft eggs/shell-less eggs and managed to thrive despite that fact…? Hattie is only two and a half and she is my special girl, so I’m terrified she’ll develop complications (like her sister, Eloise, who I lost three months ago ). I don’t care if I can’t get eggs from her, and other than the weird shell-less egg thing (so far I’ve seen her pass eggs - with all the components but the shell - about two or three times) she still acts totally normal. So I’m just curious if anyone has ever had a hen who gets enough calcium but still has trouble developing shells for her eggs. Thanks for any feedback!

 

[CalBickieMomma]

She might be suffering from some kind of shell gland issue and I know of some people that give their hens time to heal by using a hormonal implant.
Here is some information: http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/deslorelin

I‘ll have to see if our local exotic vet can give her this. He does take chickens and actually repaired the hen in question a year and a half ago (she got torn open by the rooster’s spur or toenail). Time to start saving up all my spare change!

 

[All4Eggz]

I had a hen like that who layed continuous shell-less eggs.
If you want, you can look through my thread when I had that problem.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/continuous-shell-less-egg-from-my-new-layer.1492136/

Do you free range your chickens?

As mentioned in my thread (link ^), you should try to give her a daily private breakfast - get the oyster shells and layer pellets along with a high protein meat or something she really likes. You have to see that she is actually eating the calcium (oyster shell).
When I did this for my hen, I gave her some canned cat food (which she LOVED) and I sprinkled crushed oyster shell and mixed grain on top of it and mixed it into the food to make sure she's getting a least a little bit. I gave her layer pellets as well.
You could also try crushing up the oyster shell VERY fine, almost like a powder. Then sprinkle it on top of some kind of meat, and she's guaranteed to eat at least a little bit of it.

I don't know if she would be able to live a normal life with laying only shell-less eggs, but I think you have to be patient for the eggs to get back to normal. Do the private breakfast every morning for at least a week,and see if you get any changes. If she only layed 2-3 shell-less eggs, maybe the calcium is still building up inside her. I bet if you do this, she'll go back to normal eggs in no time

Good luck

 

[LaFleche]

She might be suffering from some kind of shell gland issue and I know of some people that give their hens time to heal by using a hormonal implant.
Here is some information: http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/deslorelin

 

[CalBickieMomma]

I had a hen like that who layed continuous shell-less eggs.
If you want, you can look through my thread when I had that problem.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/continuous-shell-less-egg-from-my-new-layer.1492136/

Do you free range your chickens?

As mentioned in my thread (link ^), you should try to give her a daily private breakfast - get the oyster shells and layer pellets along with a high protein meat or something she really likes. You have to see that she is actually eating the calcium (oyster shell).
When I did this for my hen, I gave her some canned cat food (which she LOVED) and I sprinkled crushed oyster shell and mixed grain on top of it and mixed it into the food to make sure she's getting a least a little bit. I gave her layer pellets as well.
You could also try crushing up the oyster shell VERY fine, almost like a powder. Then sprinkle it on top of some kind of meat, and she's guaranteed to eat at least a little bit of it.

I don't know if she would be able to live a normal life with laying only shell-less eggs, but I think you have to be patient for the eggs to get back to normal. Do the private breakfast every morning for at least a week,and see if you get any changes. If she only layed 2-3 shell-less eggs, maybe the calcium is still building up inside her. I bet if you do this, she'll go back to normal eggs in no time

Good luck

Thank you! I was giving her calcium pills for a while (2 at night and 2 in the morning - and I had to do the whole pry her mouth open and shove them in), but that didn’t seem to help at all, so I stopped (maybe I’ll try that again now that the lay pellets have been part of the diet for a while). This morning I found yolk splatter with a thin eggshell around it, so something was forming. Maybe she just needs a TON of calcium for some reason .

 

[CalBickieMomma]

She might be suffering from some kind of shell gland issue and I know of some people that give their hens time to heal by using a hormonal implant.
Here is some information: http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/deslorelin

Thanks! I fear this is the problem with her. I’ll check out that link.