intermittent laying good and bad eggs

[SFPeggy]

I have four hens, 1 year and 3 months old. All started laying last August and have laid pretty well, even a few through the winter. However, starting in April, one of them (I am 80% sure it is my Rhode Island Red) started laying some broken eggs. Then she didn't lay at all for a while. I gave more calcium (oyster shells, chopped up chicken shells and powdered calcium). In late June, we finally got some four-egg days. However, last week, the bad eggs have started again. Today I had to clean a real mess out of the laying box. Does anyone know a fix for this? Otherwise, I think I am going to have to learn how to kill a chicken. I don't want to keep feeding her, and I don't want her problems to rub off on the others. I have an Amercauna, a barred plymouth rock, and a black sex-link. Thanks for any help.

 

[Angiebubs]

Are you seeing these being laid? Usually broken eggs happen from other hens going into nest box and breaking them, fights over whos turn it is in the nest box, etc

If the problem is from thin shelled eggs, there can be many causes of this. One of the easiest to "fix" is to add a poultry multi vitamin to their water. Often if they have a vitamin deficiency, they can't absorb the needed calcium. These are pretty inexpensive too! (Thin shelled can also be caused by some diseases.)

 

[SFPeggy]

Thanks, Angie. That's a different angle you suggest, rather than the calcium. I have two nest boxes, but they generally only like the right-hand one. So I think there are fights; I hear the noise sometimes. I have put a plastic egg in the left one, recently, and now I've got a couple of chickens who do lay in there. Today I got four good eggs. I am going to keep an eye on it, and look forward to hearing from any others who have had this experience.