Unusual Wonky Egg Laying Issue ..

[chickenluvin]

Has anyone ever had a hen consistently laying 2 shell-less eggs at once? She is close to 7 months old & has been laying since she was about 17/18 weeks old... but she lays 2 eggs at once on the roost at night that are shell-less... most have a membrane but the odd one doesn't.. The only time she lay 1 with a shell, it was all egg white & the 2nd egg came out without even a membrane but there was yolk, plus it was the only time she lay in the nest box... the rest were on the roost. I'm assuming it's because it's the only one she felt coming because of the wonky shell on the one. The shell on the 1 egg was lumpy & rough with wonky colouring. It hardly looked like an egg. She's laid at least 25 sets of 2 shell-less eggs (50+ eggs).
They have a stress free, clean environment, good quality layer food, free choice oyster shells & grit & minimal treating to avoid nutritional imbalance. I am into my 7th year with chickens & have never seen anything like this.
The only thing I can figure is that it's a genetic abnormality? It certainly isn't working itself out as she is getting more mature. I just worry about eventual egg yolk peritonitis.
I'd love to hear if anyone has experienced this & what the eventual outcome was or if you have knowledge to offer..

 

[Stepnout]

I had one lay many shell less eggs for several weeks going into a moult. Never 2 a night.

 

[chickenluvin]

I had one lay many shell less eggs for several weeks going into a moult. Never 2 a night.

Thanks for your response..
I've had the odd shell-less egg over the years also, but always temporary & always just one. I think that's pretty normal. This is the oddest thing though. She has never laid just one, nor never laid a normal egg. I'd really love to know what's going on in there

 

[EggSighted4Life]

The only thing I can figure is that it's a genetic abnormality? It certainly isn't working itself out as she is getting more mature. I just worry about eventual egg yolk peritonitis.

Sounds to me like you have a fairly clear understanding!

And I agree with your thought.. I would be concerned about eventual binding or something.. but clearly this gal has a shell gland defect.. I would consider letting someone harvest her for the freezer.. since it is an ongoing thing and NOT caused by anything that you can correct as far as can tell... Just a long term continual concern... Let every day be her best day ever and one quick moment.. is my heart felt suggestion for the long term benefit of your flock and own peace of mind.

Also, sorry if my suggestion feels hurtful to you in any way. I'm quite a bit realist and don't believe we can save them all. But if that isn't the right answer for you.. there is a hormone implant to stop laying some folks are getting done.

Noting all though I say shell gland.. two at a time is obviously also something going awry for the release timing as well.. Most will just give double yolker solid eggs.. your issue seems to go deeper. Thank you for sharing so we can all learn.. in 10+ years and literally hundreds of birds, I too have NOT experienced what you are describing.

Hope you get some answers!

 

[chickenluvin]

Sounds to me like you have a fairly clear understanding!

And I agree with your thought.. I would be concerned about eventual binding or something.. but clearly this gal has a shell gland defect.. I would consider letting someone harvest her for the freezer.. since it is an ongoing thing and NOT caused by anything that you can correct as far as can tell... Just a long term continual concern... Let every day be her best day ever and one quick moment.. is my heart felt suggestion for the long term benefit of your flock and own peace of mind.

Also, sorry if my suggestion feels hurtful to you in any way. I'm quite a bit realist and don't believe we can save them all. But if that isn't the right answer for you.. there is a hormone implant to stop laying some folks are getting done.

Noting all though I say shell gland.. two at a time is obviously also something going awry for the release timing as well.. Most will just give double yolker solid eggs.. your issue seems to go deeper. Thank you for sharing so we can all learn.. in 10+ years and literally hundreds of birds, I too have NOT experienced what you are describing.

Hope you get some answers!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer & very thoughtfully..
Yes, I think I kind of already knew the answer, but really wanted to hear other's thoughts or if this has ever happened in someone else's flock before. I do feel it's unusual & possibly unique, but hoped to hear about experiences with this actual issue. I agree with your thoughts, although the 2 separate eggs is confusing on top of it all. There has never been just one.
They are pets & I love each of them, but I am also a realist & don't wish suffering for my own sake. She is very happy & normal otherwise. I don't mind keeping her if I thought she'd never have health issues over it.. but I also hate for her to go out suffering at some point.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I wasn't quite sure where the defect was potentially occurring, but as you said, it's probably more than one issue.
Do you think it's even possible at this point that her body may work it out seeing that she's still fairly young? I think I know the answer but am open to the possibilities before making any harsh decisions.
Thanks again...

 

[EggSighted4Life]

They are pets & I love each of them, but I am also a realist & don't wish suffering for my own sake. She is very happy & normal otherwise. I don't mind keeping her if I thought she'd never have health issues over it.. but I also hate for her to go out suffering at some point.

That could be the case for any of them long term. But I DOUBT she is currently "suffering" at all.. softees left on the droppings board are basically droppings in their mind as far as I can tell. If they start looking like lash eggs, then that's infection and needs reconsidering.. but otherwise, not likely painful.

So all will face some sort of decline eventually and it doesn't sound like she isn't currently in pain or causing flock issues. So maybe yours can be our first case study!

Yes, I do think ANYTHING is possible!

Okay, almost.. hens can crow and do grow spurs, may even mount each other. But roosters DON'T/can't lay eggs!

With regards to working itself out, even if not likely... we just don't know what we don't know. Life is pretty amazing! I have had a two year old barred rock hen.. start crowing and not lay for more than a year.. then the next year started laying again. She didn't display any swollen abdomen like that of EYP/etc, no illness symptoms, was top hen, content, foraging.. apparently her body was doing it's thing. She was actively laying at 4 years old when she went to a new home with some others earlier this year. She was a really good hen over all, one of only two that ever got pet status here! Wish I hadn't let them go. I'm still learning!

 

[chickenluvin]

That could be the case for any of them long term. But I DOUBT she is currently "suffering" at all.. softees left on the droppings board are basically droppings in their mind as far as I can tell. If they start looking like lash eggs, then that's infection and needs reconsidering.. but otherwise, not likely painful.

So all will face some sort of decline eventually and it doesn't sound like she is currently in pain or causing flock issues. So maybe yours can be our first case study!

Yes, I do think ANYTHING is possible!

Okay, almost.. hens can crow and do grow spurs, may even mount each other. But roosters DON'T/can't lay eggs!

With regards to working itself out, even if not likely... we just don't know what we don't know. Life is pretty amazing! I have had a two year old barred rock hen.. start crowing and not lay for more than a year.. then the next year started laying again. She didn't display any swollen abdomen like that of EYP/etc, no illness symptoms, was top hen, content, foraging.. apparently her body was doing it's thing. She was actively laying at 4 years old when she went to a new home with some others earlier this year. She was a really good hen over all, one of only two that ever got pet status here! Wish I hadn't let them go. I'm still learning!

Thank you! I love your thinking... positive but realistic. I appreciate hearing thoughts from such a cool person

 

[Sueby]

I had one that consistently laid soft or no shelled eggs. She would struggle to pass them & it didn't look fun for her. I would giver her a half a calcium citrate pill every day till I'd get a regular shelled egg. I'd get regular eggs for a week or 2 or so, then repeat the cycle. She only made it a couple months before she laid her last egg (with shell), walked out of the coop & died with her insides on the outside. She clearly had a reproductive problem & I did all I could for her but she didn't make it.

You could try giving yours calcium & see if it helps. As I said I gave 1/2 a regular human calcium citrate a day till I saw normal shells. I also switched the whole flock to layer feed instead of all flock with shell on the side just for her.

 

[chickenluvin]

I had one that consistently laid soft or no shelled eggs. She would struggle to pass them & it didn't look fun for her. I would giver her a half a calcium citrate pill every day till I'd get a regular shelled egg. I'd get regular eggs for a week or 2 or so, then repeat the cycle. She only made it a couple months before she laid her last egg (with shell), walked out of the coop & died with her insides on the outside. She clearly had a reproductive problem & I did all I could for her but she didn't make it.

You could try giving yours calcium & see if it helps. As I said I gave 1/2 a regular human calcium citrate a day till I saw normal shells. I also switched the whole flock to layer feed instead of all flock with shell on the side just for her.

Sorry for your loss but you did your best to help your girl. I'll give your advice a try, but I think it's becoming evident that my girl has an issue that may not resolve. It can't hurt to try though. I would sure love to be able to save my sweet girl from a terrible ending.
Thanks so much for your help... appreciate it!

 

[Jastorm]

I have a similar issue. My Production Reds were hatched on April 28 and have been laying since the first week of September. I have five hens and usually get 5 eggs per day.
I would say that every third day or so, I find one or two soft shelled eggs on the floor in the morning. They are right under the roost, from the same chicken. And that day I will only get four regular eggs in the nest box.
However... one day I found two softies on the floor, and still got five regular eggs. That means one chicken laid three eggs in one day.
I contacted the hatchery where she was hatched, and they said she was producing ova faster than she could form shells over them. Her timing was not yet right. They said it might take a few weeks.
It has been two months now and it still happens, but maybe closer to once per week.
I want to mention that the first egg ever was a triple yolk!! It was gigantic! The shell had blood on it, poor thing.

I don't know what kind of chickens you have, but it makes me wonder about the selective breeding that has brought us the Production Reds. They are touted to be laying machines, and it seems that they really are. I marvel at the sheer volume one hen produces in a week, all out of that little body. No wonder they are always voracious!
It makes me wonder if the high volume layers have shorter lives? Is it taxing to them?

It is my first year with chickens and I have to say it is the best thing I could have done to get through this pandemic. I love them!