⠀ Soft Eggshells

Every week day morning I go out to my chicken's coop between 5:45 and 6 am and cut on a light in their coop and put their food in their run and let them out of their coop to have access to the run. In their coop I have made a roost for them. About a foot under the roost I placed some plywood and some plastic with pine shavings covering the plastic so clean up would be easy and due to my 7 hens share the coop with 3 female and 1 male Khaki Campbell ducks. The ducks tend to want to sleep under the roost. Well the point of my story is I found a very soft cracked egg on the pine shaving under the roost and it was extremely soft. I seen someone else ask about this but I could not find the thread. I feed the Dunmar Layer food and provide some scratch at lease 3 times a week. Is there anything else I need to be providing my chickens? I have only found 1 egg like this and is the first time I found an egg under the roost. usually I may find 1 duck and 1 chicken egg each morning around 6am then after my daughter gets home from school she usually funds 1 duck egg and to 5 chicken eggs but all are usually in the nesting boxes. Please let me know what I should do if I continue to find extremely soft shell eggs.

You are already providing layer feed with the calcium at 4%. Only thing I can suggest is add some oyster shell to their feed. I provide oyster shell free choice, but it seem that sometimes chickens just overlook it. I just mix into their feed a small amount. Chickens will not overdose on the shells . Oyster shells also provide grit as well. If they don't want it, then they just leave it behind on the bottom after all feed is gone.
WISHING YOU BEST.

The only addition i would suggest is to give them oyster shell in a separate feeder, so they can eat it if they wish - that should at least give you the comfort of knowing it is not diet-related. When a hen is new to laying, they often lay soft shell eggs as their egg producing system is not sorted out yet. If it is a young hen, then be patient - it will correct itself soon enough.
CT

I found the egg no shell from my quail today too
And I already gave them oyster shell
I hope she will lay normal egg tomorrow
Oh I mix oyster shell in to their water to make sure she get the calcium

Thank you all for the advise. My chickens were hatched may 2nd. Do yes they are young. I have never done this before as I lost one of my beautiful Rocks Suddenly about a month ago. I was told it could have been drinking from the kiddie pool of water I had for the ducks. I got rid of that pool wuickly. She was the only one who got ill. My daughter was devastated but she is doing ok now. Do I need to give them anything for worms once or twice a year to prevent worms. If so, what is it I need to get and how do I give it.

Sometimes chickens just get sick.... Sorry for your loss your sweet little baby too. There are two theories that I know of for worming... Some do it twice a year... Once in spring once in fall... Others wait for a reason to worm. It just depends on how you feel about it. I have even ready natural ways people try to prevent worms... I am still in my research part but I am leaning towards no worming until it is needed or just once a year around mounting time... Still haven't decided. Good luck with the rest of your flock!!!! Can I ask why someone said the kiddie pool was the culprit. Never heard of anything like that especially if the birds have plenty of clean water to drink

animalslover said:

I found the egg no shell from my quail today too
And I already gave them oyster shell
I hope she will lay normal egg tomorrow
Oh I mix oyster shell in to their water to make sure she get the calcium

Click to expand...

First .
Now as to adding oyster shell to the water.??? I am not sure that it is providing calcium all that well. The shell are not that water soluble. I would provide the shells dry alongside their feed, and for quail, you may need to crush then some more with a hammer to make small pieces. The shells will dissolve and be absorbed in the birds digestive tract.
WISHING YOU BEST

animalslover said:

I found the egg no shell from my quail today too
And I already gave them oyster shell
I hope she will lay normal egg tomorrow
Oh I mix oyster shell in to their water to make sure she get the calcium

Click to expand...

I totally agree about the lack of solubility of shells in water, and any calcium i would imagine would be inclined to precipitate, rather than be soluble. Chickens instinctively know when they are not getting enough calcium, hence putting oyster shell as an optional supplement is the best way. Since you hens are very young, and you give them layers feed, i would be inclined to think that its just your hen getting her egg laying system sorted out.

CT

Lindalouly. My 7 chickens and 4 ducks share the same coop and run. I made my run with 50 foot of wire. The stay penned up until about 3pm and then they are free roaming and have several acres of open yard and woods to roam. The private poultry farm I got some of my chickens from thought she may have gotten into something in the woods or botulism from the dirty duck water. She didn't physically see her but I sent a pic and talked to her about symptoms. Her name was purchie and was my daughters favorite. I have learned a bit form this forum and try to Google some things. You stated you are still researching may I ask where are you looking for your research, Internet, books etc?