[BARNACLE BILL]

Hi can anybody shed light on the following. I went up to my pen this morning and normally the chickens are waiting (I have 3) for their feed. I noticed one was missing. I opened the coop and the hen was on her perch. She had laid an egg on the floor beneath the perch and not the nest box. I noticed the egg had virtually no shell. At the ends the shell was very thin. The rest of the egg just had the outer membrane covering. It soon became apparent the hen seemed unwell it was just moping around and not feeding. They have layer pellets, vegetables and grit/oyster shell in there diet. Has anybody come across this before ?

BB

[ghost61]

Have you checked her for lice/mites ( especially around her bottom )?  I have a similar problem at the moment too.  Have been on hols and since being back one of my Light Sussex has laid two soft shelled eggs ( been back a week).  Her poo is a bit 'looser' than normal, but her vent is clean and no lice etc.  she is eating well and is perky so I am hoping that it is a combination of me being back in charge ( think the neighbours doled out too many treats whilst looking after them ) and this horrible weather.

Sounds like your hen is sickening with something, and hopefully someone can help you.  I guess that someone will also mention the age of your hen, as that could also be a factor.

Fingers crossed that she gets better soon.

[BARNACLE BILL]

Thanks for your response Ghost 61. Incidentally the hen is only a year old.

BB

[ghost61]

Same age as mine.  I do think that I am overreacting but can't help it!  Up to now she has been such a reliable little lady, laying nearly every day.  So this phase is out of character.

[splash101]

She is most likely feeling out of sorts because laying a soft shelled egg is quite strenuous.

Avoid treats and stick to the pellets. If you are feeding veggies, try sticking to dark leafy green ones for a while as they will help absorb calcium.

Her laying routine may be out of sorts for a while or she might just spring back to normal.

Has she been wormed lately?

[Sassy]

It is hard for them to lay a soft shelled egg and feeding green leafy veg will help with the absorption of calcium. Do you feed oyster shell? If not it may be worth considering. I feel this should be available ad lib to all chooks as part of their routine. The shell is soluble and avaluable form of calcium. Other alternatives are limestone flour, available from agricultural/equestrian feed outlets; and egg shell which has been 'cooked' in the oven.

Hopefully she will soon feel better. As she is only a year old it is not old age that has caused this to happen, but changes in routine, a scare, or health issue may also cause this.

[grinling]

my light sussex stopped laying when 18months old and never recovered, ending in a prolapse. Light sussex is a dual bird so does not lay as much as others.

[Sassy]

I always thought that a pure bred Light Sussex was one of the more productive of the egg layers

[grinling]

egg a day from snowy.

[ghost61]

Well she laid the strangest egg today, about 3" long, fairly narrow, like a sausage! Soft at the pointy end and hard shell at the other end.  Hope that she is on the mend.  The other two have laid nearly every day for the last year, so that's why any break seems odd!

[BARNACLE BILL]

Thank you for your advice. She seems to have got over it now. She is eating normally now. I have put more oyster shell/grit in containers around the run.

THANKS