4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Rachel H]

I have three 'pet' chickens. Two Light Sussex (Cleopatra and Nefertiti) and a Rhode island Red (Isis). All three are about 18 months old and have complete free range over the garden. They also have layers pellets, oystershell grit and water available all day.

 

All three have been laying well with Isis being the most consistent layer.

 

However, in the middle of July, Isis started laying soft eggs during the night. Then she started laying eggs with no shell during the night and now she's occasionally laying very soft shelled eggs, again during the night. The other two have continued laying normally.

 

I tried supplimenting their food with Poultry Spice and put Lifeguard in their water but it didn't seem to help. I then asked my vet what may be causing the soft eggs and he referred me to a bird hospital who advised supplimenting with calcium and Vitamin D.

 

I have been giving them Poultry spice in their layers pellets and Lifeguard in their water. They also have a calcium and Vitamin D suppliment in their food and water for about a month now with no change.

 

In all other respects Isis is perfectly healthy. She has no mites, her comb and wattles are bright red and healthy, she's eating and drinking normally and running around the garden with the other two, she's preening and keeping herself clean and isn't yet moulting.

 

Does anyone have any idea what may be causing the problem with the eggs and if it's anything that can be treated? Or is it just 'one of those things' and she's stopped laying?

[Egluntyne]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

 

Just a suggestion......you might want to change your user name as it looks like an email address and for internet safety reasons something anonymous might be better.

 

Sorry to hear that you are having a spot of bother.

 

Are the hens having a good quality layers pellet and not too many treats, which can crowd out the nutritious food?

 

Have the hens got access to Mixed Poultry Grit?

 

You have already sorted the extra calcium and Vit D. What are you using.

 

There is a product called Zolcal D which is very effective.

 

Did the vet mention Egg Drop Syndrome at all? This is caused by a virus and can cause the symptoms you describe.

[Jules.]

This is interesting to me too as I've cleaned the girls out today & found 2 softies in the droppings tray & I had one in the nest box- all in one week. I also get quite a few eggs which are really pale, almost white, with paper-thin shells.

 

My girls have a good scoop of limestone flour each week in their treat bowl, with poultry spice mixed in.

 

Buzz is moulting for the first time- could she be the culprit?

[Rachel H]

Thanks for the responses - I will change my username but more easily said than done!

 

I'm pretty sure Isis has Egg Drop Syndrome. I just looked it up on line. My vey didn't mention that as a possibility at all.

 

Hopefully she'll start laying again after her moult - and hopefully she won't pass it onto the other two.

 

Thanks again

Rachel

[GKH]

i think one of my girls has the same thing. the other 2 lay normally but Katie has only given me a bout 3 usable eggs and the shells were very thin.

now one of the other girls waits outside until after shes laid and then goes in to peck at the egg, i try and stop this when i can but not sure what to do to stop this now

 

GKH

[joegg]

This also seems to describe what has happened to Layla who is also a Rhode Island Red she is about 40 weeks old lays extremely well started out soft but shells hardened up, though never as hard as the bullet surrounds of the other two chooks and now they have gone soft again found broken in the poo tray. She is in excellent health, beautiful glossy feathers, comb and wattle bright red.

I recently treated for red mite as on cleaning the nest box (which broody maggie is hogging) i found a couple of crawleys that looked like mites.

 

The softies dont seem to be bothering here but as a result we are down to one egg a day.

[debbie26pet]

This also seems to describe what has happened to Layla who is also a Rhode Island Red she is about 40 weeks old lays extremely well started out soft but shells hardened up, though never as hard as the bullet surrounds of the other two chooks and now they have gone soft again found broken in the poo tray. She is in excellent health, beautiful glossy feathers, comb and wattle bright red.

I recently treated for red mite as on cleaning the nest box (which broody maggie is hogging) i found a couple of crawleys that looked like mites.

 

The softies dont seem to be bothering here but as a result we are down to one egg a day.

 

 

funny enough i have a rir she was a regular at laying softies, now she stopped for a week - 2 weeks and had a small moult odd brown feather hanging around. now for the last week hse has had normal eggs no softies so im hoping the moult helped her.

[Rachel H]

That's really encouraging. I read up on egg drop syndrome and it said that they will start laying 'proper' eggs again after the moult but I was a bit sceptical.

[Jules.]

This has all been really helpful, thanks.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Hi there my softee layer is doing all the same,we had a few thin shells... often she spends a real long time on a nest not even trying, started to wonder if she was going broody on top of it all. seems healthy, takes ages if she does lay.been an hour on the nest and nothing.. out she pops happy as Larry!

but....

there are an awful lot of liquid poohs most of the time. from her!

should I be thinking abot a trip to the vet about now, has bokashi, not many treats she's a tad fussy actually, likes cheese best!