[Lardman]

We're a week on and she's not improved.

I've stopped everything but limestone flour and ACV in the water (which is fresh each day)

The eggs Im getting seem to be fine until half way its the very tip that appears to be soft, Im ashamed to say Im not sure if thats the front or back.

[hillfooter]

Although an egg travels down the oviduct pointed end first it's laid broad end first. The egg turns end over end in the urogenital chamber and it's here that an egg can become stuck causing egg binding.

Sounds like she has a problem with the process that lays down the shell, it's as if she's not producing enough and running out of the coating deposite as the egg passes through.

I think you need to stop the lime flour and try multivits (particularly Vit D) which I prefer to codliver oil which is another source of Vit D.  Another sign of Vit D deficiency is soft claws and beak.  A potassium deficiency or a magnesium excess can also cause thin shelled eggs.  Poultry Spice is an additional source of minerals though a good compound layers pellet feed should normally provide all the minerals your chx need in a balanced proportion.

Chances are this chicken is suffering from a mal-absorbtion of the essential minerals for egg shell production such as calcium but just increasing calcium alone without the other elements which are needed for absorbtion isn't going to cure it.  Cocci contracted as a chick can damage a chx ability to properly absorb some of these elements.  Alternatively it could be caused by an infection in the reproduction system.  I don't see any history of this chicken and her past laying patterns so it's not clear if this is an acute condition or chronic.

Give it some more time and keep the nutrition simple and staple without lots of fancy supplements and it should right itself provided it's not be caused by some chronic condition.

[Lardman]

I've given the ACV & flour a fair try so I'll stop those tomorrow as well.

Shes laid every day I can remember since Jan 09 regular as clock work until now, no evident health issues, although one of the other girls has reoccurring bubbly eyes and sneezes. The other 2 girls are on the same diet and a laying without issue.

Back to pellets and plain water for a week then.

Is it possible she has reached the end of her productive life?

[hillfooter]

If she's still laying very regularly then she's not reached the end of her laying life.

Is she an exbatt hybrid or what breed is she?  Don't like the sound of the recurring respiratory infection which will either be Coryza or Mycoplasmosis (CRD).  Both are often chronic diseases which should not be taken lightly and you should know something about these diseases and be treating all your chx with antibiotics to control them (Baytril or Tylan though if there's doubt about which it is I'd choose Baytril).  They are likely carriers too (even when not showing symptoms) so you should not introduce new unvaccinated stock. 

The reason this could be relevant to your egg problems is that CRD can invade the reproduction system via the airsacs and could cause the sort of problems you are seeing.  If indeed this is happening it may well prove fatal though take several months (6) to do so.

Maybe that a vet visit is in order assuming you haven't done so already.  You need to provide a bit more history to make the most of a consultation though.
Best of luck
HF

[Lardman]

Thanks for the pointers Hillfooter.

I'll give her another week or so to see if she sorts herself out. I did choose the word "productive" deliberately.