Soft shell eggs

So here is the scoop. One of my pullets keeps laying soft shelled eggs. Probably 2nd one that I know of. She is on layer feed and has access to oyster shell, and she just started laying about a month ago. It has been really hot here, we had our first heat wave, so I'm wondering if that might have caused it, although it has been a lil bit cooler these past two days. Should I be concerned??
My older hens never had this issue, so this is new to me. Thanks!!

PS....she lays them and immediately turns around and eats them.....kind of grossed me out. BUT I don't want them to form bad habits, so any help is appreciated.

It isn't clear to me ..... So she has laid two soft shelled eggs total?

Stress, as well as starting up egg laying often result in all different kinds of egg "oops" (super tiny, soft shelled, etc.)

To lay a couple of mistakes, is within the realm of normal, and can be happily ignored.

If however she lays 6 or more mistakes in a row..... There is a clear problem. It sounds as if she is well cared for, and has the correct feed.....

There is the possibility, with a hen that lays 6 or more mistakes in a row... That it is a genetic issue... Something that simply is not fixable.

The egg eating is going to be a big problem for you real quick if you don't stop it now. Do everything you can to ensure she doesn't get to do it. Once she gets in the habit (even with hard shells) the others will start. I don't want to be negative but you should seriously consider that you may have to cull her.

Softshell eggs, or even thin shelled that get stepped on and broken, are fair game for eating....and will not lead to egg eating.
If they eat hard shelled eggs, that is another story.

goodb said:

The egg eating is going to be a big problem for you real quick if you don't stop it now. Do everything you can to ensure she doesn't get to do it. Once she gets in the habit (even with hard shells) the others will start. I don't want to be negative but you should seriously consider that you may have to cull her.

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There is a way you can attempt to stop her egg eating. Try emptying a normal egg but don't crack it open, just put holes in the top and bottom of the egg and blow out the yolk an whites. Then fill the empty shell with some spicy mustard and put it in the nest. Do this for at least a month, if she still eats them then try to find something she doesn't like to eat and put it in the egg and try again. Soon enough she (hopefully) will think that all eggs taste nasty like that and stop eating them

BittyBantamMom6 said:

There is a way you can attempt to stop her egg eating. Try emptying a normal egg but don't crack it open, just put holes in the top and bottom of the egg and blow out the yolk an whites. Then fill the empty shell with some spicy mustard and put it in the nest. Do this for at least a month, if she still eats them then try to find something she doesn't like to eat and put it in the egg and try again. Soon enough she (hopefully) will think that all eggs taste nasty like that and stop eating them

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I've heard of that approach and it seems a waste of a lot of good eggs until she/they figure out they aren't yummy any more.

goodb said:

I've heard of that approach and it seems a waste of a lot of good eggs until she/they figure out they aren't yummy any more.

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You can still use the yolk and all for cooking after blowing out the egg. They are still good if you blow it all in a bowl. Then use the empty shell

In the meantime you continue to lose eggs until she figures out some are "yucky" and quits. Maybe I'm a hardliner but I would rather remove the problem post-haste and not play games.

goodb said:

In the meantime you continue to lose eggs until she figures out some are "yucky" and quits. Maybe I'm a hardliner but I would rather remove the problem post-haste and not play games.

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Ditto...and the mustard usually doesn't work(chickens don't have 'spice' receptors) and it makes a heck of a mess..

Thanks everyone for the input. I havnt noticed any since, but it hasn't been as hot here. She laid a soft shell two days in a row, that's what got me concerned. She is now back to laying normal eggs and she's not eating them. Thank goodness.