soft shell eggs

[ChickenLegs13]

I've been paying attention and it appears that 2 of my hens are doing it.
1 is an ancient Buff that used to lay jumbo eggs with paper thin shells but hasn't layed anything since Feb. I figure the calicum resources in her body are depleted.
The other one is a young but experienced hen that got mauled by a predator of some sort. She has a large painful looking scabby injury between her leg, tail and backbone where she's missing a huge patch of skin. I figured her body shut down the shell making process to create less stress on her body as she passes eggs as she heals.
But I'm just guessing.

 

[Rowena Ong]

I have been getting a few soft shell eggs lately, someone told me it means the hen is coming to the end of her laying life? Is this true? I'm going to try the milk thing. X

 

[Cockerlinechick]

I changed the grit I was giving the girls as it was mixed sized and I noticed all the little stuff (pebble type bits) was being left. I have been giving just bigger oyster shell for the last couple of weeks and haven't had an issues since, plus all their shells seem lovely and strong now. Betty our bluebell lays monster sized double Yorkers at least 4 times a week, hers is the big one, the middle is a good average sized from my sussex and the little one is a bantam orpington. Hope it all sorts itself out x

 

[Leha]

I noticed that all my girls were picking out the oyster shell and dropping it into the sand. I had a huge pile (almost 2 cups!!) of oyster shell sitting under my automatic feeder. In my mind, this explained why the girls weren't getting enough calcium in their diet. I switched to a pellet that has the oyster shell smashed in with the rest. This prevents the girls from picking out the oyster shell. It's the same brand of feed and has all the same nutrients as the other, just that it doesn't include cracked corn. So we give our girls some corn on the cob and other treats each day. This has had a drastic impact on our soft shell layer. She's been laying consistently, every day, since about 36hrs after adding the new feed with the oyster shell included.

 

[kenzier093]

I am hoping someone can help me. One of my favorite EE hen is laying extremely soft shelled eggs to the point where it's just squishy and has no shell to it at all. She is a little over 2 years old. Is she not getting enough calcium or something? What could I feed her? I always give them 16% dumor layer pellets and right now give them some cracked corn too. They don't like oyster shells either. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Leha]

I am hoping someone can help me. One of my favorite EE hen is laying extremely soft shelled eggs to the point where it's just squishy and has no shell to it at all. She is a little over 2 years old. Is she not getting enough calcium or something? What could I feed her? I always give them 16% dumor layer pellets and right now give them some cracked corn too. They don't like oyster shells either. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

That is the same feed I was giving my girls. Ask if they have the feed with the oyster shell inside the pellet. It doesn't have cracked corn in the mixture, but you can always mix the pellets with scratch if it's important to you that they get snacks. The pellets look exactly the same (so does the bag) it's just got the oyster shell inside the pellets. Good luck!!

 

[kenzier093]

That is the same feed I was giving my girls. Ask if they have the feed with the oyster shell inside the pellet. It doesn't have cracked corn in the mixture, but you can always mix the pellets with scratch if it's important to you that they get snacks. The pellets look exactly the same (so does the bag) it's just got the oyster shell inside the pellets. Good luck!!

Someone else mentioned just smashing the egg shells up from the other girls that laid them. I don't know if she will eat it or not, but I guess she needs to go in quarantine so she eats it. Poor girl, I go up there and she lays on the nest, but never lays an egg. Last night I went to pen them up and she was squatting on the roost and she laid another "rubber egg" again. I hope this works.

 

[ochochicas]

I've been paying attention and it appears that 2 of my hens are doing it.
1 is an ancient Buff that used to lay jumbo eggs with paper thin shells but hasn't layed anything since Feb. I figure the calicum resources in her body are depleted.
The other one is a young but experienced hen that got mauled by a predator of some sort. She has a large painful looking scabby injury between her leg, tail and backbone where she's missing a huge patch of skin. I figured her body shut down the shell making process to create less stress on her body as she passes eggs as she heals.
But I'm just guessing.

How are your two hens doing? Are they back to laying yet?

I also have one older hen that used to lay a jumbo egg everyday. A couple of weeks ago she was egg bound and very sick. We gave her calcium, she passed a broken egg, and was back to her normal self a few days later. Since then, she has laid two soft shelled eggs (one on the floor of the roost tonight). I assumed when they came to the end of their laying life it would slow down instead of just stopping all together. I'm not sure about that though. I'm keeping an eye on her but worry that she is sick with something.

 

[Gigl203]

Reviving an old thread. Got my first egg with an incomplete shell, it flexed when I squeezed it. Very strange, we've been getting eggs for about 3 weeks now, have gotten double yolkers, but this one stumped me. I'm glad to hear it's not an uncommon occurrence. Thanks for the info.

 

[chickenmanfive5]

You can feed your hens egg shells, but you need to cook the white that is left in the shell. What I do is this: I put the shells in the microwave for about a minute and a half. Then put them in a large coffee can and crush them with a potato masher. I have never had any of them to eat eggs. I get a soft egg once in awhile, and I only feed them 16% laying mash. I do not mix anything with their feed, only the egg shells and they lay some extra large eggs most of the time. I have seven hens and right now I am averaging five eggs a day. I have seen on here that some people mix all kinds of other things with their feed. I think it is a waste of money, but you can do whatever. I just don't think it is necessary.