Hen continues to lay soft shell eggs - what's wrong ?

[elandry4]

I have 5 layers, 2 are about 2 years old and 3 are about 6 months old. I have no way of knowing who has laid which egg, but for 4 days now we have had rubber/super soft shell eggs. And now the others have also learned to eat them before I can even get out there. I feed them organic layer pellets and regularly crumple up the shells and put them out as well as adding oyster shells to their feed. How can I figure out which one or does it matter? Is 2 on the older side and could it be just that the older ones are not laying as well due to age?
This is my first time dealing with rubber eggs

 

[Chapel Hill Chicks]

It's been months since you posted, but I am having the same problem with one hen out of my 19 girls. She's my only Buff Orpington, about a year and a half old, and for the past couple of months, she's laid only rubber eggs. Sometimes I find them already broken in the nesting box, and sometimes they are a perfect little water balloon. All of my other hens are fine and lay eggs with nice, thick shells. I provide layer feed and oyster shell, so no lack of calcium. They're also outdoors with access to sun and shade from sun up to sun down. While I don't know exactly what's causing her to lay eggs with no shell, I'm guessing she's either stressed out as one of the hens bullied by my elderly, grumpy Wyandotte who rules the roost, or she has some sort of reproductive problem or an illness that is preventing calcium absorption or shell formation. She's not the youngest hen, but she is one of the most submissive ones.

For others who are dealing with rubber eggs, I wish you luck in ending your hen's no-shell policy.

 

[pfarrell442]

that chicken wound up responding to oyster shell and laid a few shelled eggs but then stopped altogether... oddly enough i have a buff orpington (one of two) that is bullied and i think the stress is causing her to lay soft eggs.... she also laid a "lash egg" which is a series of malformed eggshells all rolled into one and eventually made its way out.... i thought it was a rubber ball. We don't have a rooster so it was not a chick..... anyway.... like you, my orp is henpecked and chased from food. i try to keep up with her and help her with extra attention but it seems she will just deal with her soft eggs.... i just discovered her a few days ago laying in yolk and a mess.... gave her a bath and we started all over again.... she seems bullied and sad but healthy otherwise.

 

[Marty101865]

Has anyone had definitive luck fixing the soft shell issue? My flock is 4 BuffOrppintons, 1 each white splash Marans, Bielefelder and a Bielefelder rooster. After about 4 months I figured out which BO is my soft shell and it's gotten to the point where she laid every third day at best and then 2 of three eggs were shell deficient in some way. For now they BOs are all starting to molt so maybe the break will do her good. I've considered putting her down since I've read it can cause health issues and I would rather it be quick than her suffer but...I also have other chicks and she seems to want to be a momma. If she can't lay good eggs I thought I might let her go broody in the spring.

They get Purina Layer feed, lots of veggies, fresh corn, worms (earth and meal), in the heat I use Sav-A-Chick mixed in the water every other day. They have oyster shells, granite chips and lots of sand here in the Florida Panhandle. They "free range" the back yard for several hours each day and almost all day during the weekend.


Any thought on diet changes?

 

[junebuggena]

Has anyone had definitive luck fixing the soft shell issue? My flock is 4 BuffOrppintons, 1 each white splash Marans, Bielefelder and a Bielefelder rooster. After about 4 months I figured out which BO is my soft shell and it's gotten to the point where she laid every third day at best and then 2 of three eggs were shell deficient in some way. For now they BOs are all starting to molt so maybe the break will do her good. I've considered putting her down since I've read it can cause health issues and I would rather it be quick than her suffer but...I also have other chicks and she seems to want to be a momma. If she can't lay good eggs I thought I might let her go broody in the spring.

They get Purina Layer feed, lots of veggies, fresh corn, worms (earth and meal), in the heat I use Sav-A-Chick mixed in the water every other day. They have oyster shells, granite chips and lots of sand here in the Florida Panhandle. They "free range" the back yard for several hours each day and almost all day during the weekend.


Any thought on diet changes?

Lay off the treats.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Has anyone had definitive luck fixing the soft shell issue?  My flock is 4 BuffOrppintons, 1 each white splash Marans, Bielefelder and a Bielefelder rooster.  After about 4 months I figured out which BO is my soft shell and it's gotten to the point where she laid every third day at best and then 2 of three eggs were shell deficient in some way.  For now they BOs are all starting to molt so maybe the break will do her good.  I've considered putting her down since I've read it can cause health issues and I would rather it be quick than her suffer but...I also have other chicks and she seems to want to be a momma.  If she can't lay good eggs I thought I might let her go broody in the spring.

They get Purina Layer feed, lots of veggies, fresh corn, worms (earth and meal), in the heat I use Sav-A-Chick mixed in the water every other day. They have oyster shells, granite chips and lots of sand here in the Florida Panhandle.  They "free range" the back yard for several hours each day and almost all day during the weekend.


Any thought on diet changes? 

Some hens that are at the end of the season will lay some sort shelled eggs. They are more common as they begin and stop laying. You could try switching to a higher protein feed as layer contains 16%, which is a daily minimum requirement. Feeding extras can dilute their daily intake. Many free ranging hens can balance out their own diet if enough bugs and higher protein seeds are in the range. I prefer to feed a higher protein All Flock ration. I haven't seen any soft shelled eggs since I switched. Coincidence? I can't prove it.

Another cause for soft shelled eggs is stress. So check that your hen isn't being harassed too much by any other flock mates.