Hen not laying eggs

[susannalynnwilds]

Hi there. I'm wondering if anyone can give me some advice and insight. I have a hen that doesn't seem to be laying eggs. She will spend a half hour in the nesting box, come out, and no egg is to be found. When she does lay, which is very infrequently, her eggs are soft and sometimes broken. I am aware of calcium deficiency, however I give them all oyster shell mixed in with their feed, and I also keep a bowl of oyster shell on hand in their run at all times. My hen that isn't laying is about 27 weeks old now, and she is the lowest in the pecking order. If anyone has any experience with a similar situation, I welcome any and all suggestions. Thank you so much.

 

[demonic]

Does she appear to eat, walk, and move normally? Lowest in the pecking order but does she still fit in and can dust bathe/move with the flock? Do you have a rooster? What breed is she?

 

[susannalynnwilds]

Does she appear to eat, walk, and move normally? Lowest in the pecking order but does she still fit in and can dust bathe/move with the flock? Do you have a rooster? What breed is she?

We do not have a rooster. She is a Plymouth Barred Rock. Her behavior is perfectly normal: eating, drinking, dust bathing, foraging, roosting. She seems happy. I just can't figure it out.

 

[Silviaschicks]

Is she being fed enough calcium? Sounds like it’s a feed problem

 

[susannalynnwilds]

Is she being fed enough calcium? Sounds like it’s a feed problem

I give all the hens lots of oyster shell. I mix it in with their feed and have a container of it available to them at all times. I suppose that maybe she needs a little more than the others?

 

[Silviaschicks]

if it's mixed in with the feed, they might avoid it. You should give your girls layer feed

 

[susannalynnwilds]

if it's mixed in with the feed, they might avoid it. You should give your girls layer feed

I do give them layer feed.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Might want to look into calcium citrate for her, just to see if you can fix the soft shell issue. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/soft-damaged-eggs.1452762/#post-24179334

 

[demonic]

We do not have a rooster. She is a Plymouth Barred Rock. Her behavior is perfectly normal: eating, drinking, dust bathing, foraging, roosting. She seems happy. I just can't figure it out.

I have a hen that had an egg broken inside her and once treated she just never laid since. It’s been over 3 months since her egg problem and she is happy, bright red comb, makes noise, but just doesn’t lay for some reason. Only a year old. Has she had problems before?

 

[susannalynnwilds]

I have a hen that had an egg broken inside her and once treated she just never laid since. It’s been over 3 months since her egg problem and she is happy, bright red comb, makes noise, but just doesn’t lay for some reason. Only a year old. Has she had problems before?

It seems that ever since she started laying her eggs have never been quite right. Calcium deposits at first, then soft shells, and now she just lays broken eggs. Luckily none have broken inside of her. She is the sweetest, happiest chicken and I just feel bad that she can't lay a solid egg. We've tried everything to no avail. Perhaps next we should try giving her her own calcium supplement?