shell-les egg laid on same day proper egg has been laid by same hen....why?

[Xtineart]

I dont know which hen it is, but I know it's one of 2 for sure. A couple of times now over recent days I've gone out in the morning and collected 3 lovely plump brown eggs from my lovely plump chickies, but then at about 5pm-ish one of them has come in the porch and laid a completely shell-less egg on the floor. I didnt think it was possible for a hen to have 2 eggs on the same day, and they are getting a good mix of layers mash/pellets with some green treats (cabbbage etc) and chicken tonic and calcium supplement given throughout the day.
The following day there will be only 2 eggs in the coop, then back to the 3 again for a few days before the soft egg thing repeats itself.
None of the chickens are showing signs of illness apart from one girl with possible gleet, though I dont think it's her that's having the egg problem as her eggs are quite distinctive.
What is going on?

 

[CarolyneT]

Yasmin went from laying lovely brown eggs, to thin shelled white or shelless eggs. She died from Marek's. Whether Marek's caused the problem with the eggs, or took hold of her because she had an under lying problem that made her susceptible, I will never know xx

 

[chickenhound]

I have to admit that I never have heard of gleet. How old are your hens and how long have they been laying? It takes a while to get their egg machine in high gear and a soft shell or no shell every now and then is not that unusual. If this is common place, then something is wrong. They are getting enough calcium right? That is important for proper shell development.

 

[Xtineart]

gleet is a yeast infection, I hadn't heard of it till I had to treat her for a runny bum...I'm not surprised by it in this hen though as she's been on antibiotics recently and as a rescue hen she's not been used to getting treats and eating grass in the sunshine. I'm still sure it's one of the others that is laying the dodgy egg now and then. The girls are all between a year and 2 years old and rescue battery hens so they are probably hitting the end of their egging days. They do get plenty calcium, I give a supplement in their water and they have lots of shell and grit available and yoghurt as a treat on alternate days.

 

[chickenhound]

Well I commend you for taking in the rescued hens. So obviously it is not an issue with them just starting to lay. How long have you had these birds? If you just got them recently they might be a bit stressed which could cause laying problems. I don't know what other advice I can give you as I am new to this game and learn things here on this site everyday. Best of luck with your birds and perhaps some of our other more experienced chicken farmers/ ranchers can offer some advice. Best of luck with them.

 

[Xtineart]

I've had them a few months now, they were really stressed at first but they'd never seen sky or grass before, had no feathers and it took them a good few weeks to start laying, white eggs for about a month, then another months of thin shells, hence the calci supplements. They seem very happy, and rule the roost (and my house) too now so I'd hoped that as they were happy, healthy, had put on weight and their feathers had all come back that they were over any problems by now. I think the only thing that really still stresses them is the weather, they do not have a clue what the hell rain is and keep begging me to make it stop. Same with the wind. scares the bejesus out of them and they hide in the porch. I think their wee air conditioned sheds are missed some days.

 

[chickenhound]

Keep in mind also that the rescue hens as you describe above seem to have been in rough shape when you got them. You have done a great job of attempting to give these birds a good lifestyle and I believe that it will all work out for you in the end but it may take a bit of time. Slow and easy......good luck.

 

[Xtineart]

this evening I found out who it was, my Naomi. She's had a limp for days and has been off her food and looking a bit thin so I had suspected it might be her. Today she'd been really clingy and purring like a machine, really forcefully at me, so thought maybe she was feeling better. This evening when I went out she sat sulky in a corner with her wings down, she just looked depressed, then she walked up into the coop and let me clap her as she laid an egg with barely any shell at all. I managed to catch it and cooked and fed it back to her mixed up with a measure of calcium supplement, and she really did not want to eat. I felt so sorry for her, she's off to sleep now. I hope I can work out what it is and get her on the mend.

 

[CarolyneT]

I do hope she hasn't got Marek's , but it does sound very like it could be I am afraid