Soft eggs - shock?

[chris]

Bit of a funny one here. The hen that survived the dog attack is laying soft eggs AND hard shelled eggs.... daily.

Could this be down to the shock of the dog/new stock arriving? As soon as she's laid them, she pretty much eats them (the soft ones, doesn't touch the hard shelled eggs thankfully).

They've access constantly to grit (mixed + oyster) in two bowls, she's eating fine (layers pellets), and drinking. Before she pops the soft shelled egg out, she looks hunched up, and her stance isn't right. As soon as it's out, she's right as rain. I'm thinking it's down to the shock, as there's no other signs of anything that could stress her (no mites, lice, other pests/predators around) but thought I'd come for a second opinion here

Diet wise, bar the layers, they'll get a small scoop of corn perhaps 3 times a week - though she does munch on soft fruit that's in the garden that they're in. They'll get the odd weed/grass clippings at times too (as there's no grass left in the garden that they're in ).

[chris]

Oh, and it's only happened since the dog incident - which is what I'm guessing it's all about. Can't think of anything else?

[kathyd]

I suppose having all the new ones around will be adding to her stress too - she'd just got her head around your previous newbies, then the dog incident, and now more new friends... but it does sound weird, laying a softie and a normal one every day. I have one hen who reverts to softies regularly, often for no apparent reason, and even her 'normal' eggs usually have quite thin shells and are strange shapes - but I figure this is some kind of internal problem she's had since I got her. But she's never laid both in one day, as far as I know... Are the 'normal' eggs OK? Do they have proper thick shells on them? I think you must be right about the stress, and hopefully it'll all settle itself down soon. There's always something new and different to keep us on our toes isn't there??

[RichmondHens]

I think result of shock too. I'm sure she will settle down in a while.

Kathy, your hen may have had infectious bronchitis, the strange shapes are often a giveaway. The virus lodges in the reproductive system and affects the egg shape and quality.

[nellie-m]

RH, that's what I thought when I read about the strange shapes.

Chris, eggs without a proper shell are very difficult to "transport" inside the oviduct, that's why affected hens show all these signs of discomfort. They will sometimes stand hunched up and strain for a long time. And they know it's not a proper egg, because they will stand in a corner or on the droppings board, never in a nest box. Once they've managed to get rid of it, they act perfectly normal again.

(Experiment for kids: fill a balloon with a small amount of water and try to get it through the sleeve of your shirt, and then a golf or tennis ball. Shows them why it's so important that the hens always have shell grit ad lib.)

[kathyd]

I didn't know that about IB, thanks... I did assume she must have had 'something' which had affected her, but had no idea what. Does that mean she's always going to be liable to infect other hens with IB?? If so, am I endangering my 2 newbies - currently around 13-14 weeks, and due to be 'integrated' over the next week or so, if I'm feeling like I have nerves of steel at the time...?

[chris]

Thanks folks