My hen is acting stragely

[PJean]

I have 12 red sex link hens who have been faithful layers for nearly a year. There has been a slight decrease in eggs over the past month. (from 12 to 10 or 11 each day). One of my hens has been acting very strangely lately. For several weeks she spends long amounts of time either in the nest or on a roost just being quiet and alone. I have had one or two eggs with rather soft shells, although I do not know which hen laid them. Late one night I found her alone on the lower roost (where I have never seen a bird at night) with an egg on the ground underneath her. The egg was broken and the shell looked to be very papery. Often in the afternoons this hen runs with the others and seems to act normally. I have tried feeling around her abdomen and her neck and cannot feel anything that seems abnormal. The last two days she has often been sitting on the nest on the floor with her feathers fluffed and her tail high in the air. All my birds are fed layer pellets, oyster shell, garden weeds, and a few kitchen scraps. I have not noticed any abnormal droppings. Can anyone tell me what might be going on with this bird and if there is anything I can do for her? Thanks for your help.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in the 1 gallon water feeder that my chickens drink out of most helped this for my birds. I didn't get the organic kind with the "mother" in it and it still seems to have worked well. Search the archives and internet and you'll find some interesting stuff.

I have also wondered if heat was a factor for my birds. I did find one less perfect egg this week when temps hit 110 and egg laying is down.

I am a novice, so keep reading to see what others say.