2 year old hen laying deformed/ soft shell/ cracked eggs

[Vkamiko]

Hi all,

I have an Isa brown hen which is about 2 years old. She has been on Red hen 17 layer crumble from the point of lay but for the past 2-3 weeks she has been laying deformed/ soft shell/ cracked eggs. I have attached 2x pictures of 1 of her eggs for your reference.

I have since (last week) changed her feed to a layer pallet and add Vetsense Avi-Calcium to her water each day. This does not seem to have made a difference.

Any thoughts or ideas of what the cause is or how i can fix it ?

 

[azygous]

What is your location? I ask because molt can affect egg quality.

Have any chickens shown signs of respiratory illness in the last several months? Some can affect egg shell quality.

Has there been a predator attack of some other stressful event in the past few weeks? Stress can affect egg shell quality.

 

[Vkamiko]

What is your location? I ask because molt can affect egg quality.

Have any chickens shown signs of respiratory illness in the last several months? Some can affect egg shell quality.

Has there been a predator attack of some other stressful event in the past few weeks? Stress can affect egg shell quality.

I live in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Def no to the predator attack or respiratory illness however we have been experiencing a heatwave over here for the past 4 weeks so that could be it?

If it was molt related then i would have thought that they stop laying altogether during the molt ?

 

[Aunt Angus]

I live in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Def no to the predator attack or respiratory illness however we have been experiencing a heatwave over here for the past 4 weeks so that could be it?

If it was molt related then i would have thought that they stop laying altogether during the molt ?

High production breeds don't necessarily stop during molt. It could def be heat-related. @azygous will know more.

 

[aart]

If it was molt related then i would have thought that they stop laying altogether during the molt ?

Yes, but you can get some funky eggs before and after the molt.
If she's the only one of the same age and breed that's laying funky eggs it's not likely diet related. High production breeds often have reproductive issues.

I live in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Since you're in the southern hemisphere, it's not likely molt related at this time of year.

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Quarterhorses1]

I would say it’s probably the heat wave. My girls lay soft shell eggs when it gets super hot sometimes

 

[azygous]

Heat stress is stress. It can certainly affect eggs. In fact, chickens are much more stressed by extreme heat than by extreme cold.

Production breeds are bred not to have much down time to rest as heritage breeds do. Therefore, they probably suffer more from stress than other breeds, just a guess. I would pay attention to her needs and perhaps give her access to electrolytes a couple times a week to keep her system in balance.

Do you know the signs of heat sickness? They can come on very suddenly, and can kill within short order if not treated with electrolytes. Weakness, imbalance, stumbling, even keeling over and passing out.

Heat stress is likely what your hen is suffering from, and electrolytes occasionally can help.