Shell-less eggs for months?

[kae0123]

Hello!

I’m really hoping someone can help me figure out what’s going on with one of my girls. I got her and two other chicks 9 months ago. The two other chicks died when they were a couple months old, and after a LOT of research, I’m fairly certain it was cocci. We replaced the chicks with two others of a similar age, and those two have been great layers since last fall. However, my surviving chick, who is now 9 months old, has been laying shell-less/soft eggs consistently for the past few months.

Given the stress of losing her two siblings early on, and then being exposed to new coop-mates, I figured taking longer to lay than expected was understandable, but now that it has been going on a few months, I’m growing more concerned. She drops a shell-less egg into the bottom of the coop almost every night. I’ve tried giving her crushed up calcium &/or oyster shells mixed in yogurt as a treat, but that hasn’t worked. She seems otherwise completely healthy.

Could something be permanently wrong (esp given that her 2 sibs were sick and died)? Is there anything else I should try? Any ideas/knowledge would be much appreciated!

Thanks so much in advance for any help.

 

[PrairieChickens]

If it's been going on for two months, then it is probably a problem with her reproductive tract. Whether or not it was caused by the illness, I couldn't say, but I wouldn't be surprised if she never lays properly at this point. Although stress can cause egg problems, such side effects are usually short-lived, and you wouldn't be seeing results from stress several months after the fact. As upsetting as it may have been to lose her broodmates, she's "over it" by now.

Sometimes hens are just born with faulty plumbing, and they'll never be able to lay normal eggs. In the old days--and in more utilitarian settings--she would just be culled at this point, but if you choose to keep her, you could have an otherwise perfectly happy, healthy hen for a good long time.

 

[kae0123]

Thank you so much for your input! I really really appreciate it. And, if that's the case, and she never does lay properly, that's fine with me