Hen laying soft shell eggs everyday...and egg bound

[ChickenCanoe]

With the new background information. I'd say all the calcium reserves in the medullary bone had been depleted by the time you switched to layer. I'm guessing you didn't offer oyster shell when this bird started laying.
A good avian vet can help with the cessation of ovulation.
The easiest way to force molt is to bring the bird into a dark space during the night, when they go to roost would be good. Keep the regular routine with the other birds and let this bird out at noon each day if that's possible.
ISA Browns aren't a bad choice at all for someone wanting lots of eggs.
IMHO, each breed someone chooses will require slightly different management practices.

 

[vantain]

With the new background information. I'd say all the calcium reserves in the medullary bone had been depleted by the time you switched to layer. I'm guessing you didn't offer oyster shell when this bird started laying.
A good avian vet can help with the cessation of ovulation.
The easiest way to force molt is to bring the bird into a dark space during the night, when they go to roost would be good. Keep the regular routine with the other birds and let this bird out at noon each day if that's possible.
ISA Browns aren't a bad choice at all for someone wanting lots of eggs.
IMHO, each breed someone chooses will require slightly different management practices.

Actually...they have had free choice calcium in the way of oyster shells since before they started laying, and before I even switched them to layer feed. When I started the layer feed, I left the oyster shells in their pen for free choice if still needed. That said, I have never actually witnessed any of the birds actually eat any of the oyster shells.

I don't know if this matters too much, but their run is sandy..it's just the way the soil here is..and they eat A LOT of it. There is a lot of that in their poo.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I doubt it will help your egg problem but are you providing adult size grit?
Sand is too small to serve as grit for birds over about 6 weeks of age. It will help grind food. I would also consider an acidifier which improves assimilation of calcium.
I would try a raw apple cider vinegar in water at about 3 tablespoons per gallon.

 

[vantain]

I doubt it will help your egg problem but are you providing adult size grit?
Sand is too small to serve as grit for birds over about 6 weeks of age. It will help grind food. I would also consider an acidifier which improves assimilation of calcium.
I would try a raw apple cider vinegar in water at about 3 tablespoons per gallon.

I put raw apple cider (with mother) in their water a couple of times per week. Sometimes I add electrolytes and vitamins. One or two days of plain water.

They have a bowl of chicken grit, but again, it seems they prefer the sand to grit.

 

[vantain]

AN Update...my hen made it through the day and went to roost in the evening without being lethargic, or laying a soft shelled egg. YAY! This morning, I found a broken soft shelled egg on the floor under her roost. Along with that, there was a smaller wrinkled egg in one of the nests. It was a brittle shell, but normal brown color. I am guessing the hen in question laid the soft shell during the night, and then this other one this morning. I am pretty sure it is hers, since there were also three other perfectly good eggs in the nests, and those would be from the other 3 hens who have been laying fine.

I guess I’ll keep up with giving her the added crushed calcium/d3 tablet every day to see if thing continue to improve.

 

[Eggcessive]

The wrinkled or corrugated shell egg is fairly common if there has been infectious bronchitis. There can be other reasons as well.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If she's dropping multiple eggs in a day, that is a huge problem. There's no way she can keep up with the calcium depletion like that.
I'd definitely try to get her to stop ovulating.

 

[rebrascora]

I would imagine that soft shelled egg has been held up in her system and has eventually been pushed though by the one behind it or the calcium supplement has eventually enabled her to push it out, so she may not be overproducing. I would keep up the calcium supplement for a week or two and see how she goes.

 

[vantain]

I thought last night was a turning point, but she's back to being lethargic right now, and obviously in pain, with the pulsating tail/abdomen as she needs to expel the latest soft shell. I'm watching her over the next hour to see if she passes it. As in the past five days, she will expel the soft shell, then immediately be herself again until the next episode. I will continue the calcium/d3 pill each day for a few more days to see if it helps. I usually give it to her alone with plain yogurt.

 

[vantain]

....and....she laid the soft shelled egg and returned to her normal self. She ate some mash I made, drank some electrolyte/vitamin water, and I put her back out on the roost with her girls. Sigh....will this ever end?