[Tom Parrot]

Hello readers,
One of my hens has not laid an egg for over two weeks although, I believe she did lay an egg five days ago.
She lays in a nest sometimes for a long period, sometimes for short periods. Also sometimes more than once a day.
She seems quite normal in the mornings, eating as usual and running around and scratching about.
In the afternoons she gets a bit lethargic and she goes to bed early. Although she always has been the first to bed.
Today however she came off the nest and luckily I was about. No egg. But, there was a discharge hanging from her rear and she didn't move. I got my camera and she had moved but I took a photo of the discharge, which looks like the soft shell of an egg, and her rear, although the picture may not be clear there appears to be a second piece partly hanging out and a yellow (yolk) on the right/lower of her rear.
She does appear to be putting on a bit of weight.
Please, for her, I need help on this.
Tom Parrot.

[ghost61]

Hi, it looks as if the soft shelled egg broke either as she passed it, or inside her.  If inside her then you may have a problem.  My advice would be to give her a warm bath and squeeze her gently around  her vent to clear any yolk etc that may still be inside her.  I did this with one of my hens when a similar thing happened, and got some yolk out and after the warm bath she was fine again, but her egg laying days were over.  If she gets over this you need to keep an eye on whether it happens again ( a nightmare, as of course you need to check daily).  Good luck, let us know how you get on.

[Sassy]

Agree Ghost 61. Also it may be a lash which older hens 'lay' on coming to the end of their laying days. However, I've never had yolk with one, so can't be sure. 

Do recommend that you follow Ghost 61 suggestion to ensure all clear inside or could lead to infection which may be fatal. 

[Tom Parrot]

Hello Ghost 61,
Many thanks for that advice, will do it tomorrow as the hens have gone to bed now.
Could this problem have occured before, explaining why she hasn't laid an egg for several weeks.
Apart from a bit lethargic in the afternoons she seems to be reasonably ok.
Still runs to me when I got out to feed the hens.
Tom Parrot.

[ghost61]

I doubt it s you would have seen evidence in the hen house, or wherever they lay their eggs.  Nice warm bath with a drop of baby shampoo should help.  My hen always used to do a huge poo afterwards - think the warm water helps to clear anything!  Hope she's ok today.  Just let mine out and one laid a soft shelled egg, think she was spooked in the night by something, so something similar may have happened to yours?

[Sassy]

It takes a lot out of hens laying a soft shelled egg 

[ghost61]

She is fine, Sassy, as noisy and grumpy as ever    we do get visited by foxes and they snuffle around the hen house ( girls are always locked in tight ) so as she roosts on that side, I think she may have been startled.  Bless her.

[Tom Parrot]

I do understand about the fox. I have a similar problem although not for about two weeks. Thankfully as I got two more hens to go with the existing a few days after I saw a fox in my garden walking about the hen cage as if it's his garden.
Rose seems to be ok today althoug no egg. Have not bathed her yet due to me not feeling well. (nothing to do with egg laying).
Hi Sassy, never though about soft shell eggs taking it out of the hen but, makes sense to me.
Tom Parrot.

[Tom Parrot]

Hello Ghost 61,
I washed the rear end of the hen on Thursday. Looked ok.
Friday I believe she laid a soft shell egg in the cage.
Saturday (today) she laid another soft shell egg on top of the coop.
So an improvement but, no egg for me to eat. Yet!
Still keeping a close eye on her and her appetite appears to be improving, fighting off the of adult hen for the worms which a few weeks ago she didn't bother.
Tom Parrot.

[ghost61]

Hi Tom, does she eat grit/oyster shell?  Sounds like she may not eat enough.  If she is friendly could you mix up some moist pellets and grit and get it in to her?  Good to hear that she is well though.

[Flowerpower136]

I've had one laying thin shells and put her on cal boost for a week. Seems to have solved the problem, so it might be worth a try. Got it from Flytes. Just add 2 drips per ltr of water.

[Tom Parrot]

Hello,
Yes she does get oyster shell and is free range so I don't think it's a lack of grit.
But, if could be she does get a bit more spooked then the other hens.
She is standing up for hers right a lot more and doing bit of hen pecking the new hens.
Today an egg was laid but I think it was laid by Sue as it was more brown and larger than Rose's eggs.
Not heard of cal boost which, I presume is a calcium booster of some kind.
Thanks for the interest.
Tom Parrot.

[Sassy]

Chooks can have this problem at start and end of lay. How old is she? 

[Tom Parrot]

Hello Sassy,
Rose is just over two years old, and she is a ISA-Brown.
Also she has laid 624 eggs in that time.
Do you think she may have exhausted her egg laying capabilities?
Tom Parrot

[Sassy]

She is a hybrid and they lay prolifically for a short space of time. This is why commercial hens are changed after about 13 months give or take. All chooks are hatched with a set amount of eggs they can lay. Pure breeds lay less often but for much longer. She could well be at the end of her egg laying capabilities hence the soft shells.