Soft eggs

[elizajay]

I have 2 brown rangers acquired last year as 2 days old chicks. All went well until about a month ago when one started laying eggs without shells, not even a hint of shell.

At first I though she was egg bound because I didn't see any eggs, but when I cleaned the coop I found tell tale wet patches where they had eaten her eggs. The other is still laying well and no problem with the quality of her eggs.

I have wormed them with pellets medicated with Flubenvet and they have oyster shells. When the softies are intact I cook them and feed them with a bit of live yogurt, a dash of cod liver oil, pinch of poultry spice. I put ACV in their water for a week before the worming. No signs of red mites and the other hens are doing fine apart from my Brahma being broody.

I was going to cook and feed back egg shells, but at moment all the egg shells are in the compost as I was too busy to bake them when I cooked with eggs last weekend. But I will do that.

Does anybody have any other suggestions?

[kathyd]

My birds sometimes lay softies when they're just coming back into lay after a bit of time out - after the winter, moulting, poorliness etc. But usually only a couple of times, not ongoing like your's sounds. I wonder if she's reacting to the broody hen? One of mine goes off lay the entire time another bird is broody, even if she doesn't show any of the expected broody tendancies. I don't know whether laying softies could be a different sort of reaction or not?

[Scarlet]

To be honest I think that you have covered pretty much everything. Worms or mites, a calcium deficiency which should be helped with the cod liver oil. She could have been frightened but a month would have sorted that. Are you feeding many treats? Cut those out completely if you haven't already. She probably has some illness that is not visible, liver maybe? Not really sure. Keep an eye on her and check that her vent is clean you don't want any infections from that to add to the problem. Is she being bullied? can she get to the water? Sorry I've run out of ideas and can't offer any advice. Perhaps RH will be along soon

[Scarlet]

I've just read another post of yours saying that none of the chickens lay in the nest boxes. This is usually a sure sign that there is a red mite problem. Have you really checked for mites? They don't live on the bird but in the coop in any join, crack or crevice.

[RichmondHens]

Has she ever laid normal eggs or always softies? She may well have a problem with her calcium uptake, so no matter how much she gets her body doesn't metabolise it properly. This can be a temporary or permanent problem. It sounds like you are doing all the right things so I would see how she goes for the time being.

[elizajay]

Thanks for the responses.

Both nest boxes are currently occupied with broody hens, the biggest Brahma who is fiercely broody and the smallest Victoria Plum who spent 5 weeks in a tree down the road. No problem about the other 2 laying, there is plenty of room next to VP to lay. If only I wanted to hatch some eggs under a broody, I could put loads under Hampton the Brahma! I will check for red mites at the weekend when I can tell the broodies to retire from duty for a while when I treat with red mite spray.

The softie hen is making wet poos. She laid normal eggs from later last year when she came into lay until about a month ago and went from good strong shells to none with no intermediate stage.

[elizajay]

Yes they started laying in next boxes after I posted that they weren't. Up until 2 went broody the 4 who were laying all laid in next boxes and today the 2 laying laid in the right place. The softies hen has been laying either in the nest box or under the perch.
I see from my earlier post that the softies have been going on for longer than a month.
Treats - I don't give many treats and none when worming. I will cut out the evening corn.