weird laying pattern and broken eggs

[sagefemme]

We have 4 chickens. None of them are laying in their nest boxes (long story that i'll skip!). We have figured out where they all lay.

About 3 weeks ago we stopped finding eggs for the Americauna ( she is about 18 months old and has been a stellar layer until now). At first we thought maybe she found a new place (we have searched everywhere without success). However in the past week or so we have found broken eggs under where she roosts and today I found a broken one on a step to the deck. Totally random places like the egg just falls out of her. To make it more confusing she goes and "lays" in her spot but doesn't actually lay an egg. It isn't obvious she is molting or getting ready to molt.

Our chickens are free range with layer feed with oyster shell and fresh water available to them. They get occ leftovers including oatmeal and yogurt (what the kids don't finish). The other chickens are laying fine shelled eggs.

So two issues : 1)what is up with the random laying (ie eggs just falling out where ever)
2)why the thin shelled eggs now - she is not a new layer and her nutrition hasn't changed

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
Yvonne

 

[Judy]

They often or usually stop laying during a molt, and she is the right age for it.