Shell-less Eggs

[pupsanddogs]

Hello Everyone,

I have a perplexing problem. I've been raising chickens since I was 10 and I'm quite a bit older now, (well not that old) and have never seen this. My less than 2 year old Golden Comet starting laying shell-less eggs around a month ago.

She is getting oyster shell, and has always had Purina (probiotic/prebiotic formula) 16%, calcium fortified-pellet layer feed, is in a large airy coop with 3 other Golden's all the same age (that do not have this problem). She gets weeds, table scraps, and is allowed to roam our yard at times. Her butt looks fine, but a bit of white trails on her bottom.

Do you think this is some type of infection, if so, what do you recommend I dose her with?

Thank you,
"Sam"

 

[Eggcessive]

If no other birds in your coop are having egg shell problems, she may have a problem with her shell gland in her oviduct. An injury, a respiratory virus, or an inflammation of the oviduct can lead to problems with egg shells. I would try giving her a human calcium with vitamin D tablet once a day for several days to a week, to see if that makes a difference. Watch out for her becoming egg bound since shell-less eggs can be hard to pass, or even break inside. Prolapsed vents can be common too. I had a hen who was my best layer, get roughed up by a neighbor dog, and she always laid shell-less eggs after stopping temporarily.