Shell Less Eggs Every Day! Please Help!

[JacobMaxwell]

For the past couple weeks I have been getting a shell less egg mess in the nest box every single day. It is quite annoying to have to clean the nest box each day and I'm not getting as many eggs as I should. Ever since this started I have been mixing a large amount of oyster shell into the feed. It has had no effect.

If anybody can tell my what I should do, please chime in.

 

[sumi]

Shell less eggs could be caused by a number of things. It could be an immature shell gland (young layer) inadequate calcium, phosphorous, manganese or Vit D3 or the hen may have a problem absorbing the calcium from her feed. Or it could be a disease such as Infectious bronchitis, Newcastle, Avian Influenza or egg drop syndrome.

What are you feeding your hens? And are you sure you do not have an egg eater in the flock?

 

[JacobMaxwell]

My hens are more than one and a half years old and therefore I don't think it is a young layer issue. I feed them on a balanced layer feed from my local feed store.

The reason I think it is a shell less egg issue is because, a couple weeks ago, one of my hens had been acting very lethargic all day, falling asleep in the run, not pecking with the other chickens, and just overall sickly looking. In the afternoon, she suddenly dropped a shell less egg where she was standing. It had a membrane covered in a brownish paste. She immediately perked up and started acting normal again and I thought everything would be fine, but I have been getting the shell less egg mess almost every day now.

 

[HappyHenFarm78]

I would like to know the answer to this as well....I have a black star hen who I bought as an adult (was told she is just over a year old). She has laid beautiful rock hard eggs nearly every day for me for the last 3 months- then suddenly NOTHING. She is acting perfectly fine and eating but there is always a yolky membraneless mess under he spot on the roost. I have to pick it up quickly or the other birds will eat it. There is no evidence anysort of shell was even attempted to be formed...its just whites and yolk. She is also starting to get poop stuck to her butt feathers....should I treat her for something?

I wormed them with fenbendazole when I got them- should I treat for coccidia ?? What can cause a hen to just stop producing shells? Can she live normally otherwise or will she get sick?

Does anyone have any advise- they do have access to calcium and are on a layer pellet and also free range.

 

[bucky52]

i have a red star that is 2 1/2 years old.for the past several months.i have found shell less eggs under her roost.and in the nest boxes.the few eggs that is hard shell is coated in white powder.she has always been a heavy layer.red stars are bred to lay heavy.than stop laying early in life.i In march i lost her sister to internal egg laying.i also see my hen standing off by herself with her feathers fluffed.and i will find a shell less egg some where in the run.i know her days are numbered.she was one of my first hens.i love her regardless of no eggs.

 

[sumi]

My hens are more than one and a half years old and therefore I don't think it is a young layer issue. I feed them on a balanced layer feed from my local feed store.

The reason I think it is a shell less egg issue is because, a couple weeks ago, one of my hens had been acting very lethargic all day, falling asleep in the run, not pecking with the other chickens, and just overall sickly looking. In the afternoon, she suddenly dropped a shell less egg where she was standing. It had a membrane covered in a brownish paste. She immediately perked up and started acting normal again and I thought everything would be fine, but I have been getting the shell less egg mess almost every day now.

Is she still like that when she lays? Any other symptoms?

 

[sumi]

I would like to know the answer to this as well....I have a black star hen who I bought as an adult (was told she is just over a year old). She has laid beautiful rock hard eggs nearly every day for me for the last 3 months- then suddenly NOTHING. She is acting perfectly fine and eating but there is always a yolky membraneless mess under he spot on the roost. I have to pick it up quickly or the other birds will eat it. There is no evidence anysort of shell was even attempted to be formed...its just whites and yolk. She is also starting to get poop stuck to her butt feathers....should I treat her for something?

I wormed them with fenbendazole when I got them- should I treat for coccidia ?? What can cause a hen to just stop producing shells? Can she live normally otherwise or will she get sick?

Does anyone have any advise- they do have access to calcium and are on a layer pellet and also free range.

An egg passing through quickly like that, with no attempt at a shell forming may be egg drop syndrome. It does not show any other symptoms. Did your hen get vaccinated against it? Also how long has she been laying these?

 

[JacobMaxwell]

Is she still like that when she lays? Any other symptoms?

After that one day, she has been acting perfectly normal, but still the shel less eggs.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I was having the same issue with my 1 yr old hens. One hen went from a fairly good layer to laying soft shelled and no shelled eggs, sometimes dropped in the run. They're on layer feed and I offer oyster shell so I was at a loss as to what was causing it.

I then saw a worm in one girls poo so I wormed them all. Oddly enough, the egg shells went back to being nice and solid within 48 hrs. of worming.

Maybe a worming would help?

 

[JacobMaxwell]

I was having the same issue with my 1 yr old hens. One hen went from a fairly good layer to laying soft shelled and no shelled eggs, sometimes dropped in the run. They're on layer feed and I offer oyster shell so I was at a loss as to what was causing it.

I then saw a worm in one girls poo so I wormed them all. Oddly enough, the egg shells went back to being nice and solid within 48 hrs. of worming.

Maybe a worming would help?

It might help, But if it was a worm problem, wouldn't all my hens be effected by now?