Soft shelled eggs, is this normal??

[Lainey-chick]

Yesterday, I noticed on my poop boards there were two small eggs beside each other that were just membranes, the shell hadn’t hardened. One of them was broken and the other intact. Do you think the same chicken laid both. I don’t see how two different chickens could have laid them so close together like that. This morning, I found one soft shelled egg on the poop boards (no picture of that one).

My pullets are 17/18 weeks. I have 6 ISA Browns and a Barred Rock that are brown egg layers. I don’t think the BR is mature enough to lay yet, but I could be wrong. Two ISA Browns I know for sure lay hard shelled eggs because I’ve been there when they laid their eggs. My Leghorns lay white eggs with perfectly formed shells. I wish I could figure out who is laying these eggs. Should I be worried that it keeps happening?

They are on Nutrena Naturewise Chick Starter with Oyster Shell on the side. I have a rooster so I didn’t put them on layer feed.

 

[Yardmom]

Not that unusual for a bird who just started laying. It sounds like nutrition should not be the problem. Hopefully her system is still maturing.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I noticed on my poop boards there were two small eggs beside each other that were just membranes, the shell hadn’t hardened.

The membranes don't harden they get a calcium layer added on top that was missing.

What you describe is very common in new layers and should correct itself shortly.

They are on Nutrena Naturewise Chick Starter with Oyster Shell on the side.

It's not a nutritional problem as young hens will sacrifice calcium from their bones to produce hard shells.. it was a hiccup of the shell gland coming on line. Your feed routine sounds fine as long as it's not diminished with excess low nutrient treats.

Here is an interesting article about egg formation and possible anomalies/cause.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[Lainey-chick]

The membranes don't harden they get a calcium layer added on top that was missing.

What you describe is very common in new layers and should correct itself shortly.


It's not a nutritional problem as young hens will sacrifice calcium from their bones to produce hard shells.. it was a hiccup of the shell gland coming on line. Your feed routine sounds fine as long as it's not diminished with excess low nutrient treats.

Here is an interesting article about egg formation and possible anomalies/cause.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

What an eggcellent article, and that video was super educational! Thanks!!

 

[lleeme]

My Smo

Yesterday, I noticed on my poop boards there were two small eggs beside each other that were just membranes, the shell hadn’t hardened. One of them was broken and the other intact. Do you think the same chicken laid both. I don’t see how two different chickens could have laid them so close together like that. This morning, I found one soft shelled egg on the poop boards (no picture of that one).

My pullets are 17/18 weeks. I have 6 ISA Browns and a Barred Rock that are brown egg layers. I don’t think the BR is mature enough to lay yet, but I could be wrong. Two ISA Browns I know for sure lay hard shelled eggs because I’ve been there when they laid their eggs. My Leghorns lay white eggs with perfectly formed shells. I wish I could figure out who is laying these eggs. Should I be worried that it keeps happening?

They are on Nutrena Naturewise Chick Starter with Oyster Shell on the side. I have a rooster so I didn’t put them on layer feed.

My Smokey Pearl did this for a while when she first started to lay. She actually laid one on her way back into the pen from free ranging. She seems to be better now. She was one of the last of my spring chicks to start laying.