? about soft and funny shaped eggs... please help

UrbanFarmerGirl

Chirping
9 Years
Joined
May 18, 2010
Messages
128
Reaction score
0
Points
99
Location
Western Washington
I have 2 Buff Orpingtons and 2 Barred Rocks. They have all started to lay within the past month. I think the Barred Rocks have been laying for 4 weeks, and the Buff Orpingtons have slowly joined in over the past week or two. Suddenly, I've had 9 eggs in 2 days! In the past 24 hours the 4 chickens laid 7 eggs! Only problem is, in the past 2 days 2 eggs have been soft shelled (those were the only ones not in the next box. They were laid on the ground outside of the run- like the chicken wasn't expecting it), and 2 were extremely brittle/thin shelled, and shaped funny.

When your chickens first started to lay, did you get any soft, or strange shaped brittle shelled eggs? I was think they may all be coming from one of my Buff Orpingtons, but I cannot tell if it is the same chicken every time. I know that it can mean they don't get enough calcium, but they are eating layers feed and sometimes get yogurt, and I think it's only one of them having this problem. Is it just a new layer getting the kinks worked out, or is there a bigger problem? Any help would be appreciated!
smile.png
 
caf.gif


I've got my first chickens (ever) and they are 23 wks. 4 of them are laying (Maybe a 5th one started today) ...what I've learned on BYC is that when they start to lay they need oyster shell (free choice) to keep their shells nice and thick. I had a beginner lay a soft egg and I've had a couple thin brittle eggs before I started offering the oyster shell. I was told by the veterans on here that it happens sometimes. It's just the chickens working the system out. As long as it doesn't continue after the first few weeks then there is no problem.

Trust me I was worried too when it started. Good Luck!!!
thumbsup.gif
 
Not sure what to say about the amount of eggs but I've heard it's fairly common. I know with the thin & no shell ones that's very common with new layers! Give them some free choice oyster shells. They might need a little boost of calcium!!

Missi
 
It's normal for them to lay soft shell eggs at first. All of my pullets did this. As I only had 10. I knew which ones they were. They also lay baby eggs at first. Real small. Now I get all large, x large, jumbo and jumbo + eggs. It will all work it self out. Hang in there.
 
Thanks! I just made an omelet out of some of the eggs- one of the big ones did have two yolks, so I guess they are all just trying to get things going smoothly
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom