Speckled Sussex laying weird eggs...please help!

[truchicks]

She turned 1 in May and she has been laying normal brown eggs since about 6 months up until the last 3 or 4 months. Her eggs are either white, almost opaque looking, or shell-less, or have calcium deposits on them. They are not normal anymore. At one point, I thought she was egg-bound and gave her an epsom salt soak and confined her. The next morning there was a rubber egg in the crate. Does anyone know what could possibly be going on with her and what I should do? This is my 1st flock and it is a small flock (3 girls). Any help or advice would be appreciated. TIA!

 

[rIrs roost]

It could be a few things. Do you offer the oyster shell or eggshells?

 

[rebrascora]

What do you feed them? It sounds like she may be low on calcium and need supplementation with oyster shells or crushed egg shells but a direct dose of liquid calcium or a crushed Tums sprinkled on some scrambled egg will give her a quicker boost.
The other possibility is that she has a problem with her shell gland.
All you can do is to try giving her a calcium boost and keep fingers crossed that works.

 

[truchicks]

It could be a few things. Do you offer the oyster shell or eggshells?

Yes, I offer oyster shells

 

[truchicks]

What do you feed them? It sounds like she may be low on calcium and need supplementation with oyster shells or crushed egg shells but a direct dose of liquid calcium or a crushed Tums sprinkled on some scrambled egg will give her a quicker boost.
The other possibility is that she has a problem with her shell gland.
All you can do is to try giving her a calcium boost and keep fingers crossed that works.

I feed them Scratch and Peck layer feed, Oyster Shell, and I grow my own meal worms that I offer as a treat every few days.

 

[rebrascora]

That diet sounds good but I would still try a direct dose of calcium onto some food (porridge or scrambled egg or a small piece of moist bread) for a couple of days in case she isn't taking the oyster shell for some reason. If it is a shell gland problem, it is possible that it may sort itself out when she moults and her body has down time to replenish itself.

 

[chickens really]

If it's been really hot in your area that can cause Hens to lay bad eggs...Provide plenty of cool water to drink..I'm sure she will get back to normal once the weather cools...

 

[truchicks]

That diet sounds good but I would still try a direct dose of calcium onto some food (porridge or scrambled egg or a small piece of moist bread) for a couple of days in case she isn't taking the oyster shell for some reason. If it is a shell gland problem, it is possible that it may sort itself out when she moults and her body has down time to replenish itself.

I've been mixing oyster shell with some yogurt and she has been gobbling it up... Will that work too? She laid this one late yesterday afternoon and it's probably the most normal one she has laid in awhile but it has the calcium deposits. So when they moult how long does it take and do they completely stop laying?

 

[Chickenlover2017]

it is a pullet

She turned 1 in May and she has been laying normal brown eggs since about 6 months up until the last 3 or 4 months. Her eggs are either white, almost opaque looking, or shell-less, or have calcium deposits on them. They are not normal anymore. At one point, I thought she was egg-bound and gave her an epsom salt soak and confined her. The next morning there was a rubber egg in the crate. Does anyone know what could possibly be going on with her and what I should do? This is my 1st flock and it is a small flock (3 girls). Any help or advice would be appreciated. TIA!

 

[rebrascora]

Pleased that you have made some progress with her. Yes the oyster shell will work if you have found a way to get her to eat it. It takes slightly longer for the body to break it down and absorb it than a liquid calcium supplement or crushed tablet, but does the same job of supplying calcium.
Yes usually they will stop laying during moult and have a rest for a few months, sometimes longer. Some people increase their protein intake and provide supplemental lighting to encourage them to come back into lay quicker, but I'm of the opinion that some down time is good for their system in the long run.....it depends on your goals for keeping chickens.... if you are just keeping them for egg production and intend to cull and replace them at 2.5-3years, then you want the maximum number of eggs from them during that period. If you just enjoy keeping chickens and see the eggs as a benefit, then it may be better to let them have a natural seasonal cycle and take a few months off in the autumn/winter.
What people don't really understand these days is that eggs are seasonal produce just like everything else.... we are just so used to being able to buy eggs and all manner of other produce, in the shops all year round, because chickens are farmed in unnatural conditions to keep them laying, so that the supply is continuous. Those chickens often burn out relatively young if they are lucky enough to find rescue homes rather than being culled.