Hen consistently laying soft-shelled eggs

[miss_thenorth]

Hi All, this morning, my son noticed clear fluid coming out of a hens vent. She was puffed up, and slow moving. We got ahold of her and I helped massage the egg out of her. it was soft shelled. this hen has been 'bunged up' before. One time in the evening, as all laying hens were roosting, I could see an egg crowning. I massaged that one out as well. It was hard-shelled that time. I have on numerous occasions, seen soft shells lying about--in all sorts of places--not knowing who was laying them, but now I am convinced it was Victoria.

this behaviour started when I introduced the bantams (one being a rooster)into the barn. The bantams were quarantined for a couple of weeks, and the laying hens and bantams basically have left each other alone--no problems. The only difference is that I feed scratch to the bantams, and, yes, the hens eat the scratch too. they also eat their layer crumbles (the bantams wouldn't eat it). i have left out crushed egg shells, out , mixed it in with the scratch, and regularly mix the crushed shells in yogurt about once or twice a week.

Just to mention that Victoria is my daughters favourite hen--is their anything I can do for her? i might be able to rig something up so that the hens can't get the scratch. The bantams can fly and the hens can not. --if that might be the problem. (although i'm not totally convinced this is it, since I think they are getting enough calcium--is there anything else it could be?)
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[wynedot55]

your hen is having problems adjusting to laying eggs.an if she dont adjust youll end up having to cull her.

 

[jnjross]

i read soft shell can be a sign of too much calcium

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
She has been laying great since september--it's just been the last little while. I'm afraid , though, that if things don't improve- or if there is nothing I can do for her--I might have to cull her

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
Really? Remember where you read that--I'd like to check it out-- Thanks.

 

[wynedot55]

a softshelled or rubber egg comes from her body not adjusting to laying eggs for some reason.but you say she las layed normal eggs.so im wondering what happened to cause her to stop laying right.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
That's why I've been scratching my head...

edited to add... that's why I've supplemented with eggshells when they started to eat scratch.