One hen's eggshells have gone soft

[dreamdoc]

I have one 3 year old hen who has previously laid normal eggs. She is now laying soft shell eggs that break in the nest. I feed the flock egg shells and will try oyster shells. Any ideas why this is occurring?

 

[Ridgerunner]

How long has this gone on? How many shell-less eggs? Was she laying regular eggs this year after the molt and it just switched or has it been going on since her molt?

Is it every egg she lays or just an occasional one?

You say soft-shelled. I assume this means a very thin shell but something there with a bit of stiffness in it. Not just a soft flexible membrane?

I assume you have other hens laying "normal" eggs?

Could be a few different things going on. Offering oyster shells is a good idea but I don't know if it will solve the problem.

 

[dreamdoc]

How long has this gone on? How many shell-less eggs? Was she laying regular eggs this year after the molt and it just switched or has it been going on since her molt?

Is it every egg she lays or just an occasional one?

You say soft-shelled. I assume this means a very thin shell but something there with a bit of stiffness in it. Not just a soft flexible membrane?

I assume you have other hens laying "normal" eggs?

Could be a few different things going on. Offering oyster shells is a good idea but I don't know if it will solve the problem.

 

[dreamdoc]

Thanks for your response. She lays an egg that is broken in the nest. If the eggs isn't broken it is very soft shelled. This has been going on for about 2-3 months. I think it was occurring before her molt. Everyone else is laying normal eggs. I read here that this could be a sign of an infection. Any thoughts? She also has had ongoing problem with mites. I treat her every month. When I check other chickens they don't seem infected. Could she be anemic and would that affect her egg shells? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is only one hen doing this so it is an individual hen problem, not a flock wide problem. She used to lay good eggshells but has consistently laid thin-shelled eggs for a few months. That eliminates a few things. It is not genetic.

Do you know what kind of mites? There are different varieties with different lifestyles that need to be treated for differently. Typically if one chicken has them they all do but some are more susceptible than others. I would not think the mites are causing the problem but since she is hit so hard with mites it might be a sign that she has something else going on.

It is possible she has a disease but if she is acting normally and the others are not showing any symptoms I'd consider it unlikely. Something has obviously changed. Either she is no longer consuming the calcium supplement or her body can no longer process it properly. Offering oyster shell on the side might be a good thing.

You know which one it is. I'd suggest feeding her a calcium pill reinforced with vitamin D each day to see if that helps. Any of the calcium supplements for humans should work. I've never done this but I've read put the pill in her beak and she will swallow it. Vitamin D helps the body absorb the calcium.

Some people say they do this for a couple of weeks and it fixes the problem. They can stop. Others have to do it the rest of her laying life. Sometimes it doesn't help, but I can't think of anything else to try.

Good luck!

 

[C Siena]

What breed is she?