Hen With Really Weak Feathers and Soft Eggs

[Aryetheral Waalburgus]

Thank you. I would think worms, but the thing is, I just wormed her a few months ago. Maybe... 4 months.

 

[MyHappyGirls]

Glad that's ruled out right? Maybe some extra protein could help?
Here is a free book I found very helpful for our other hen that had reproductive issues it is old but it had very helpful information

http://www.archive.org/stream/poultrydoctorin00tafegoog#page/n7/mode/2up

 

[Aryetheral Waalburgus]

Thank you! That book looks fascinating!

 

[MyHappyGirls]

I don't know if that will help your issue I just read through it quickly and didn't see anything regarding egg laying issues.....But maybe it will give you ideas

 

[Girlmom]

Hello! I have included many photos at the bottom.

I have a two and one quarter year old Red Sex Link (named Ariana) who has always laid enormous hard-shelled eggs. In the last two months, however, she has laid continually worse eggs. In mid-April, she started every two days or so laying eggs that look hard-shelled, but when I picked them up, my thumb broke the shells. Now, in June, I open the nest box and there is a little paper-thin "skin" next to a pile of wet egg. None of the rest of my flock has problems with their eggs. My adult flock eats Purina Nutrena Layer Pellets 16%. Every few days I force-feed Ariana crushed oyster shells as a calcium supplement. She won't eat them if I don't shove them down her throat. In the beginning, this seemed to make a difference, but now it doesn't.

Ariana has never moulted in her entire life. When we bought her as a chick in April, 2015, as soon as she was fully grown, I trimmed her wings as well as the other hens' wings. I haven't since. Even now, She still has those exact same trimmed wing feathers. All her feathers are extremely frayed, being the same feathers she's had her whole life. I tried to pull one out to take a picture, and the shaft literally pulled apart. her back is covered with bent/snapped in half feathers. The really disturbing part, however, is that she has no pin feathers anywhere on her body. she's breaking feathers and losing them, but not growing any back.

Suggestions for how to get her to grow back feathers and get hard-shelled eggs would be
much appreciated!! Thank you in advance!

Pictures:

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Ariana's original eggs. Her's is on the right.
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Did you ever get an answer to chickens problem. I have the exact same breed of chicken and I am having the same problems. She is almost 3 years old. We have two, but only one of them is laying the shell less eggs and her poor feathers are getting worse. Thanks

 

[Aryetheral Waalburgus]

Did you ever get an answer to chickens problem. I have the exact same breed of chicken and I am having the same problems. She is almost 3 years old. We have two, but only one of them is laying the shell less eggs and her poor feathers are getting worse. Thanks

Oh I'm sorry for the late reply, I never log in here. Gotta update the notifications Ettinger to include quotes! Yes, we took her to the vet to be put down once it got too bad and she had Egg Yolk Peridontitis. It's a condition where the yolk of an egg escapes the oviduct into just the loose organs and becomes infected. A major tell is a very large, swollen, hard, distended abdomen caused by the infected fluid build up.