Smaller than pullet eggs in 3-year old layer ?? What's up with that??

[GreenMum]

I'm wondering if anyone could give me some ideas why my older hens might be suddenly laying eggs that are about 1" to 1 1/2" high? No joke, they are that small. My pullet eggs were bigger than these ones are. They aren't happening frequently but often enough in a flock of established layers to cause me to scratch my head as to what it could be. It isn't just my 3-yr old Welsummer that is doing it either, I've had these oddly small eggs from either my Chanteclers or my Jersey Giants (can't tell which one is laying which egg

) and my Minorcas too. The only ones who haven't so far are my Ameraucanas. I'm assuming that it is a nutritional issue of some sort, but can't find if it's too much protein or too little. They are on a good-quality 18% layer pellet with scratch daily and any garden weeds and such too.

 

[nanawendy]

Could they be "poopin' out" ???? All us woman folk give up the reproductive ghost @ some point

 

[GreenMum]

Oh, I do hope not!! They're only two and three years old, and heritage breeds. I've heard from a few different sources that the 'hybrid' layers will poop out after a couple of years, but that the heritage breeds will continue to lay for quite a few more, with of course progressively lesser eggs every year. Is this true? That the heritage breeds will lay for longer? I do know that they don't lay near as much as the 'hybrids' in their first year...