[asd1]

One of my hens has been looking old and worn out for awhile now she is probably about 3/4 years old now but she is still very much the boss chicken! She came to me from a lady who had rescued her from a farm (poss free range farm) . I feed her layers pellets mixed grit and baked crushed egg shells, anyway... She moulted around late Jan time and her neck is still naked??? I know she has been growing feathers as I see the stumpy bits poking thru and she's not being pecked so I guess she's pulling them herself? Not sure if it's linked but all this week she hasn't laid any eggs when normally I get two eggs a week from her...........THEN today she was out on the lawn and laid a white  then a yolk and then a floppy egg shell and ate it . My only thought is that if this is linked then is there something wrong with her diet?

[joyfull]

make sure she has plenty of dark green leaves to help with absorbtion of calcium and look out for either limestone flour to add to her feed (sprinkle onto some sweetcorn so only she gets it) or something like shell booster. Eating soft shelled eggs or broken eggs is perfectly normal as they like the extra protein (which maybe why she is eating her feathers) and calcium plus also to remove any evidence.

[asd1]

Thank you for the advice . Do you think this has happened because she's getting older ? Also would cod liver oil help her at all as I have some to hand?

[joyfull]

yes it probably is a sign of old age and something you need to keep a close eye on, laying soft shelled eggs really takes it out of a chicken and if it breaks inside her it can lead to all sorts of problems which will need help from a vet for antibiotics.