1st soft shelled egg!

[Foxhound lady]

We got our first soft shell egg today and I'm at a lose of what to do. Its one of our Brown egg layers either BR, BA, of GC it thankfully wasnt laid in the nest box but under their main night perch on the ground.

This thing had no shell at all just the membrane.

They are on Purina Layena and free choice oster shells for calicum they do free range during the day. They also get treats to encourage going into the coop before dusk.

They have been in the neighboors horse feed the last few days though

 

[DouglasPeeps]

It sounds like you are doing everything just right.

Sometimes when hens are figuring it out they lay soft shelled eggs. I
wouldn't worry about it.

How old are your hens? How long have they been laying?

 

[Foxhound lady]

One started laying on thanksgiving BA and the rest started laying Christmas week

The BA's are 9 monthes give or take and the others are around 8 monthes

 

[apukanski]

My girls started laying at the end of August, I have gotten about 3 or 4 of those since. Figured, it was one of those things that happen to new layers. I did get one from under the perch i think it fell out while roosting.

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

I have been having this issue too for about the past 3 weeks. At first it was just the new layers, but now I've had a few from one of my white leghorns that have been laying regularly since last Halloween. My girls also get good layer feed and oyster shell, and free range time evenings and weekends.

I've begun lacing a bit of the oyster shell into their feed to try and make sure they eat it, and it does seem like it's becoming less frequent.

Someone also recommended Avia 2000 Charge, a vitamin supplement you mix with the water, since it could be a vitamin deficiency that interferes with absorption of the calcium. I just got it this weekend, so I don't know yet if it will be effective. It looks terrible when you mix it in - like you're giving them black coffee! - but they seem to like it. I got it from Murray McMurray online.

 

[HorseFeathers]

It happens. We get one once in a while, often seemingly laid during sleep right on the roost.