shell-less eggs

[jedgell]

Does anyone know why a hen would lay shell-less eggs regularly? If I am home and can check the nest boxes to collect mid-day, I can get the "egg in a bag", but if I am working it gets broken open and eaten (as evidenced by yolk on the other eggs or shavings). I don't like this because I feel it is teaching the hens to cannibalize the eggs.

I understand that sometimes the egg doesn't stay long enough for the calcium to be laid down properly, but why would this happen on a regular basis? Some times it will almost have a real shell, but break easily. Usually it's just a membrane with egg inside. I feed layer food and provide supplemental oyster shell. The other hens are laying eggs with nice thick shells.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Here you go. Different possible reasons.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

If most or all of your hens are doing this, it is a flock problem. If it is only one hen doing it, it is a single hen problem, probably a defective shell gland so she can’t process the calcium properly.

It is possible if she is just starting to lay that the problem will correct itself. But if it has gone on for say two weeks after she started laying it’s probably something genetic with that hen. For the reasons you stated, I would remove her from my flock.

 

[jedgell]

Thanks for the link! I will check it out. I think it's just a single hen since I've only gotten one at at time and the rest seem fine.