One of my chickens is laying 2 eggs a day

[alinas2010]

She's not a RIR. I think it may also just take time as her system starts to process the supplementation you are giving her, and hopefully smooth out and become a bit more optimized. I have a hen who has always laid an egg with a bit of a chalky bloom, makes it look pinkish, and I think it's fine. All in the range of normal. So you may see, one the double eggs and the soft eggs and all that part hopefully regulates, I would be less concerned about what the shell looks like from day to day, and just that it is one solid egg per day. GL!

Thank you. I suppose as long as she can lay okay, that’s all that matters.

I think as long as she is having problems, unless the eggs start getting lots of calcium deposits on them.
How long have you been give it to her now?

Thank you, I will watch for thickening shells and deposits. We’ve been doing calcium supplements a little over a week now. Aiming for about 600 mg. The first week I don’t think she got a full 600 mg, but a majority of it. The last few days I’ve been more diligent about separating her and giving her the alone a full amount.

 

[Sussex19]

Thank you, I will watch for thickening shells and deposits. We’ve been doing calcium supplements a little over a week now. Aiming for about 600 mg. The first week I don’t think she got a full 600 mg, but a majority of it. The last few days I’ve been more diligent about separating her and giving her the alone a full amount.

A couple more weeks would certainly be safe, I think.
After two more weeks, you might want to rethink it, if it doesn't seem to be helping.

 

[alinas2010]

A couple more weeks would certainly be safe, I think.
After two more weeks, you might want to rethink it, if it doesn't seem to be helping.

I agree. We will keep going a couple more weeks and see what happens.

 

[alinas2010]

Just one today. But it wasn’t a good one. I’m sure there’s not much I can do for her. Does anyone have experience with a production breed coming into reproductive issues? Is it like this?

 

[jsoniker]

alinas2010, I just realized I am having this same issue too. I have a small flock of 6 red sexlink Isa Brown hens (high egg production girls) and 1 Brahma roo. The girls were all hatched ~Sept 1, 2022 (not quite 1 yr yet); I got them from a farm in Jan of this year before they started laying. They get to free range a few hours a day (we're still a little hesitant since we lost our previous flock to a hawk attack back in Dec).

Anyhow, about once every 2 weeks, one of my girls, Amber, starts getting a bit weird and she goes off into the corner of the run by herself and stands there with her vent opens, typically it happens later in the afternoon like around 4 or 5 pm. On some occasions she starts secreting parts of an unformed egg, and then later in the night from the roosting bar she'll drop a partial egg where the shell didn't form properly, and then like last night, next to that partial is a soft egg where the shell formed a bit, but not completely, enough to land in the bedding below and have some integrity. On other days, she'll drop 2 bad eggs with just the "wrapper" of a shell in the nesting boxes. And then when she's back to regular laying, maybe a day or 2 later, the eggs slowly come back to looking normal, but are thin shelled for a day or so.
I'm wondering if Amber has cancer because her behavior is similar to one of my girls that had cancer last year?!?

alinas2010, one of my theories on the thin shells is that these girls are eating enough calcium for one egg to form, but not for 2 to form, and thus their bodies are trying to split the calcium between the 2 eggs instead of using the calcium to form one good egg. I've injected a little extra calcium into Amber to see if that helps, but what I haven't figured out is how to stop her little body from producing 2 eggs??? That's the root of the issue, but the fact that the shells are thin is a result of the issue. If anyone has any thoughts on this issue, rather than the shell issue, I'm curious as to how to stop this. Websites say, yes it can occur, but they don't give insights on how to fix the issue.

 

[alinas2010]

alinas2010, I just realized I am having this same issue too. I have a small flock of 6 red sexlink Isa Brown hens (high egg production girls) and 1 Brahma roo. The girls were all hatched ~Sept 1, 2022 (not quite 1 yr yet); I got them from a farm in Jan of this year before they started laying. They get to free range a few hours a day (we're still a little hesitant since we lost our previous flock to a hawk attack back in Dec).

Anyhow, about once every 2 weeks, one of my girls, Amber, starts getting a bit weird and she goes off into the corner of the run by herself and stands there with her vent opens, typically it happens later in the afternoon like around 4 or 5 pm. On some occasions she starts secreting parts of an unformed egg, and then later in the night from the roosting bar she'll drop a partial egg where the shell didn't form properly, and then like last night, next to that partial is a soft egg where the shell formed a bit, but not completely, enough to land in the bedding below and have some integrity. On other days, she'll drop 2 bad eggs with just the "wrapper" of a shell in the nesting boxes. And then when she's back to regular laying, maybe a day or 2 later, the eggs slowly come back to looking normal, but are thin shelled for a day or so.
I'm wondering if Amber has cancer because her behavior is similar to one of my girls that had cancer last year?!?

alinas2010, one of my theories on the thin shells is that these girls are eating enough calcium for one egg to form, but not for 2 to form, and thus their bodies are trying to split the calcium between the 2 eggs instead of using the calcium to form one good egg. I've injected a little extra calcium into Amber to see if that helps, but what I haven't figured out is how to stop her little body from producing 2 eggs??? That's the root of the issue, but the fact that the shells are thin is a result of the issue. If anyone has any thoughts on this issue, rather than the shell issue, I'm curious as to how to stop this. Websites say, yes it can occur, but they don't give insights on how to fix the issue.

We had good luck when we changed Ravioli’s diet. On one of my many posts about this issue some really experienced members suggested we quit feeding treats and change her diet to strictly layer feed (and of course whatever she finds foraging). Doing so ensured she was getting enough calcium and for some reason she stopped laying 2 a day at the same time that we changed the diet. Could be a coincidence in the timing, not sure. Buy it could not hurt to quit feeding treats if you do. Beyond that I suggest using the calcium plus D3. That has helped Ravioli get some of the soft eggs out, I feel. Good luck with your girl, I hope her laying straightens up.

 

[jsoniker]

alinas2010, Thanks for your insights and experience. I'll try cutting back on snacks. I have a few mealworms to the flock today, and Amber being the alpha chicken wanted to eat them all, so I had to pick her up hold her to let the other girls eat them. I told Amber I'm trying to save her from herself; we'll see if cutting back on snacks will help her double egg laying issues because I know she doesn't feel well when her body is messed up.

 

[alinas2010]

alinas2010, Thanks for your insights and experience. I'll try cutting back on snacks. I have a few mealworms to the flock today, and Amber being the alpha chicken wanted to eat them all, so I had to pick her up hold her to let the other girls eat them. I told Amber I'm trying to save her from herself; we'll see if cutting back on snacks will help her double egg laying issues because I know she doesn't feel well when her body is messed up.

I really do think it will help to cut out everything except layer feed and of course access to oyster shell. Hopefully it’ll make a difference for your lady.

Just this past week I’ve been feeding a lot of scratch and black soldier fly larva to compensate for less free range time as we’ve been gone a lot, and sure enough, today Ravioli laid a regular egg and a soft shelled egg. My point being that after a week of not eating right and having probably way too many snacks, it caught up and her system glitched again. So we’re going off of the snacks again and strictly on the layer feed.

 

[Riverbend Farms]

@alinas2010
I was reading your thread, and I am concerned she may have something wrong with her ovaries (I more so skimmed the first page so I am sorry if someone or yourself already suggested this) Have you checked her for ascites (water belly)? You may be able to check by checking her stomach to see if it is squishy and swollen. Her eggs seem really odd like it may be a genetic condition. Her being a production breed also feeds into this as they can have a multitude of issues relating to egg production. I have one production breed hen (Sex Link). I read your post about changing her diet and it seems like it is possibly the culprit. I hope your hen is all right and lives long!

 

[alinas2010]

@alinas2010
I was reading your thread, and I am concerned she may have something wrong with her ovaries (I more so skimmed the first page so I am sorry if someone or yourself already suggested this) Have you checked her for ascites (water belly)? You may be able to check by checking her stomach to see if it is squishy and swollen. Her eggs seem really odd like it may be a genetic condition. Her being a production breed also feeds into this as they can have a multitude of issues relating to egg production. I have one production breed hen (Sex Link). I read your post about changing her diet and it seems like it is possibly the culprit. I hope your hen is all right and lives long!

Thank you for the suggestion. I don’t think she has water belly, but I will definitely check her abdomen on a regular basis and watch out for it. I agree with you, her eggs are somewhat odd. We get normal eggs for the most part, but when she has way too many treats we see issues happen. With her being a production breed and approaching middle age for a hen, I am expecting the issues to only get worse, but I will do all I can to make her comfortable. We’ll take it day by day with her. She is well right now and is active and happy. We haven’t had egg issues lately, but I’ve been keeping treats to a minimum, much to her dismay.