Mature hen laying shelless eggs every 2-3 days - what is wrong???

[RedwoodCoastChick]

One of my brown egg layers (not sure which one) has been laying a shell-less egg every two to three days over the past ~3 weeks or so. I have 8 hens all just over a year and a half old. Three lay green or blue eggs so I know it's not one of them; often all 3 colors are there along with the shell-less. Two of the brown layers have shown signs of starting their first molt but haven't lost many feathers yet. I can't be certain which brown eggs come from which of those 5 hens. No one is acting unhealthy, all are eating fine and behaving normally and their vents look like they are still laying regularly. They are on an organic 16% layer ration with calcium, same feed since they started laying, plus they have a dish of oyster & eggshell calcium supplement available at all times which they nibble at regularly.

What could be causing one to keep laying these shell-less eggs every few days? I've only had a couple of shell-less eggs from these girls when they first started laying last year but none since their early days until now.

The brown egg girls are a Buff Orpington, Delaware, Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red and Black Australorp.

What could be going on and what can i do?

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be that this hen is either suffering a reproductive disorder, such as salpingitis, or she may not be utilizing calcium, not be getting enough calcium, or her shell gland is not working well. It could also have something to do with the coming end of her laying cycle before a molt. I would give her a human calcium citrate with vitamin D tablet orally once a day, for 7 days. If she continues laying soft eggs, then it is one of the other reasons.

 

[RedwoodCoastChick]

Th

It could be that this hen is either suffering a reproductive disorder, such as salpingitis, or she may not be utilizing calcium, not be getting enough calcium, or her shell gland is not working well. It could also have something to do with the coming end of her laying cycle before a molt. I would give her a human calcium citrate with vitamin D tablet orally once a day, for 7 days. If she continues laying soft eggs, then it is one of the other reasons.

Thank you, Eggcessive. Likely it's because they are all due for their first molt, then. (Since we're into October now, I'm worried they'll molt just as our cold, rainy weather starts!)

I still can't tell which of my brown-egg girls is laying the shell-less eggs so wouldn't know who to dose with the extra calcium. Most of the lost feathers blown all around the coop and run belong to my Eggers, who continue to lay their green eggs regularly. The RIR and Barred Rock have lost some feathers/look a bit raggedy but nowhere near a solid molt, and their vents look like they're still laying. The rest of the brown-egg girls haven't visibly shed feathers yet. They're all happily pecking at the always-available oyster & eggshell dish on top of their layer feed, so no one should be lacking calcium.

Fingers crossed it's nothing serious, just pre-molt weirdness! I will study up on salpingitis just in case.