Sick flock...

[Stamphappy]

Lately our egg production has been down. We have had a hen intermittently eating eggs, & we just moved them to a new coop, so we didn’t think anything of it. We have had a couple soft eggs over the last few weeks. (even though we feed back shells and have oyster shells available), but we assumed it was old age. Well yesterday we had a hen die for no apparent reason. My husband said he saw her sneeze a couple times over the last week. Overall they are acting and look fine. Today we have had 2 very deformed and soft eggs (we have been getting 2-4 a day recently). I’ve checked for mites and fleas. And like I said they overall look fine and as far as I know eating fine (they free range, but regular food is being eaten everyday too). Ideas on what kind of illness could be doing this?

 

[Kiki]

What breed and what age?
Also...what type of feed do you feed?

 

[dawg53]

Almost sounds like IB, Infectious bronchitis. Telltale signs are wrinkled and/or soft shell eggs, watery whites. However I've not known a chicken die from IB unless her immune system was already compromised by something else.

 

[Stamphappy]

My barred rock died yesterday. I have an Americana who has been laying eggs with calcium deposited for two days, then a soft deformed egg, repeating this pattern. A sexlink thst has been laying fine. All three are between 1 & 3yrs, were given to us last January. I have 3 barnyard mix girls that are laying the deformed eggs, about 18mo. The eggs that have been normal aren’t watery, unsure about the soft ones.

We have been feeding Dumar layer pellets as long as we hAve had them (January), we feed back shells and leave out oyster shells.

 

[Ducksandchickens]

Contact your local vet.

My barred rock died yesterday. I have an Americana who has been laying eggs with calcium deposited for two days, then a soft deformed egg, repeating this pattern. A sexlink thst has been laying fine. All three are between 1 & 3yrs, were given to us last January. I have 3 barnyard mix girls that are laying the deformed eggs, about 18mo. The eggs that have been normal aren’t watery, unsure about the soft ones.

We have been feeding Dumar layer pellets as long as we hAve had them (January), we feed back shells and leave out oyster shells.