Shell/calcium issues- and now, shell-less eggs

[deacons]

No more strange eggs for over a week now, but I have noticed the Barred Rock is definitely molting now. She's mostly lost feathers around her tail, and has a lot of little pin feathers popping up. So, maybe she was just having trouble because of molting.

 

[aart]

Well discovering the molt may just be the answer you were seeking.
Just realized you are the one seriously treating a number of your flock for bumblefoot....that can be stressful.
Can't remember offhand, but was she one of the foot patients?

 

[deacons]

Well discovering the molt may just be the answer you were seeking.
Just realized you are the one seriously treating a number of your flock for bumblefoot....that can be stressful.
Can't remember offhand, but was she one of the foot patients?

Aart, yes, I have a whole lot of stuff going on with my girls right now!

I'm hoping the molt is the reason for the egg problems with the Barred Rock! She was sneaky, she never had bare patches, but I kept finding tons of her feathers everywhere, and finally noticed her tail was looking a little thin- and sure enough, lots of new feathers are growing all around her tail and on her backside. She is one of the few that has NOT had bumblefoot though, so that's not her excuse. I do check her feet weekly as she's going to bed to make sure she's still clear, but she never developed it.

 

[deacons]

Hmmm...another rubber egg from the barred rock under the roost this morning.

Earlier in the week, she laid a normal egg (the first egg at all in a while, which I was attributing to the molt). Maybe her system is just getting back up and running. Who knows. She didn't look uncomfortable last night or this morning, but I will continue to watch her.

 

[TheBeardie]

I know I'm late to the party but This has good information on egg problems

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

 

[Cluckies]

I had one that was laying rubber eggs (shelless eggs). not sure what was causing it, plenty of calcium and layer feed ect. But I had another problem with one of my other chickens, she was pulling all the feathers off the others. It could have been due to low protein, so I upped the protein for all of them, meal worms and boss as treats along with scrambled eggs every other day, no scratch. Still working on the feather puller with pinless peepers, I think it just developed into a bad habit, however, the extra protein really helped with the rubber eggs. I do not get any anymore and all the girls' shells are very thick.

 

[deacons]

Another rubber egg from the barred rock this morning. I've switched from sand to shavings on the coop floor for the winter, so I didn't notice it at first.

Looks like the last one was about a week ago.

Will continue to monitor her I guess, she gave me no signs that she was uncomfortable. Acting perfectly normal today.

 

[deacons]

Good news, my girl who has been struggling laid a perfectly normal, beautiful egg today! I saw her in the nesting box this morning, and found a somewhat tiny but very normal egg this afternoon:

I think maybe this is a "my molt is over and I'm ready to start laying again" egg. Wouldn't you know it, today was the coldest day we've had so far this year. Nature is amazing!

 

[Cluckies]

That is good, I hope she keeps laying those nice eggs!

 

[CloeyCoraCamila]

It could be a disease - my orp does it from time to time - they get it from wildbird poo - with her the eggs start to lose color also - I get a light colored egg then a shell less one - sometimes her stool gets runny too, so she gets a supplement for the digestive tract -can't remember what the disease was called but chlorinated water is suggested to keep it controlled - she does fine she just has her spells