[Libby]

Pickles lays like clockwork at 8.00 am every morning in the nest box.  On Monday, midday, she laid an egg in the middle of the run and it had a sandpaper texture.  In addition, it was quite pale.  Yesterday, she was very quiet, off her food and sat in the run with her feathers puffed up.  She laid at 1.30 pm and the egg was so pale it was almost white but a bit smudged however, it was back in the nest box.  Once she had laid, she was running about, eating, good as gold.  Today, she is very lethargic, eating small amounts but mainly sitting around fluffed up.  She hasn't laid at all.  she looks very off colour. I have checked her vent and it is clean and normal in appearance. She has a good amount of layers pellets each morning, small amount of greens in the afternoon, odd treats of grapes, warm porridge and corn, eats her oyster shell and grit.  She has ACV in her water one week out of 4 and herbal worming tablets once a month.  She is 24 weeks old.  Could anyone help please as I would like to take her to the vet but can't get in until tomorrow.

[joyfull]

she is still young and her body is still getting into the swing of things so don't worry 

[Libby]

Thank you, I do feel a little reassured.  She is usually such a bundle of trouble - which is of course why I love her, so to see her so quiet and still has made me panic 

[joyfull]

another thing she could be going to lay a shell -less egg which does make them appear off colour, see how she is in the morning.

[Libby]

Ok, I will do.  Thanks for coming back to me.  Fingers crossed.

[ANHBUC]

It is normal for a hen to lay her eggs at later times each day as it takes between 24 to 26 hours to produce an egg.  Then when it is too late for her to lay in that day she will leave it to lay early the next morning.

If you are only using herbal worming treatments you have to consider that she may have worms.  You don't normally see signs of them in their poo until they have a really bad infestation.  Most people treat their hens with flubenvet once every 3 to 4 months.

[Libby]

She has laid a very strange egg this morning, what looks like a squidgy egg shell, no colour and the white of the egg was in the tray.  She is off her food completely and won't come out of the house.  I have orderded some Flubenvet but it won't be here until Saturday I think.  I am going to try to get her into the vets today to speed things up.  Thank you so much for your replies.

[joyfull]

the soft shelled egg has been laid. She should soon perk up. She and the others may have eaten the yolk and the remains of any shell - this is normal, they get rid of the evidence and also get protein and calcium to supplement their diet 
If you don't think she has passed it all - look at her vent and see if it is pulsing or you could be brave and lube up a finger to have a gentle feel, then yes get her to a vets for a check up but personally I would see how she is in about an hour first. Remember at 24 weeks she is only just starting out and her body will have these little hiccups 

[Raven81]

We have had our ladies almost a year now have occcasionally had a similar thing.  They have been fine within a couple of days tho.

 Hope she perks up today.

[ANHBUC]

My top hen lays soft shelled eggs and sometimes 2 in one day.  I think they are a double yolker gone wrong.  She is a Bovan Goldline, about 20 months old and has done this since we got her at 20 weeks.  She has the same food and oyster shell as all the others so I have just accepted it and keep an eye on her for any problems.  I have cut down on treats as she is the greadiest and this seems to make things worse.

Hope that Pickles improves soon. 

[Libby]

I really appreciate your comments and help - it means to much to a novice like me to be able to get advice from people who have seen the problem before - I was in such a panic yesterday.  I did take her to the vet today, I was worried that she may be worse over the easter break when everywhere was closed.  They have said much the same as you have here, that she is young, settling in and it may just be something she does however, as she has laid some giant double yokers and some sandpaper like eggs, she may be a bit inflammed and it will make her off colour.  I have some drops which she has taken willingly on half a grape. When these are finished, I shall take the opportunity to worm them all properly too. Pickles did perk up this morning, but has gone downhill again this afternoon, but I am confident now that it is a soft shell problem and she will feel poorly and pick up again. She ate and drank plenty this morning, so I shan't worry as much. Thank you all so much, I can't tell you how appreciated your help has been.

[Libby]

Just an update on Pickles - she is much better.  She was off again this morning but then stood in the run, head to the sky, tail on the floor - she looked like a duck!  She strained, I dived into the run to help her as I thought she was ill, but she laid a full soft shelled egg in a clear balloon like membrane whilst standing up.  The other hens all dived for the egg, but I got there first!  After that, she perked right up.  I have some limestone flour on order to add to her food for extra calcium and hopefully the worming medicine will turn up shortly, which I shall give her once her medication is finished.  I read so many books and asked people who owned hens all sorts of questions before I bought mine, but there is nothing like learning on the job! 

[ANHBUC]

Most people don't know their hens lay softies as they get gobbled up so quickly.