Another Shell Less Egg

[duckking]

My Delaware laid another shell less egg. She just started laying but both have been shell less. I know that some hens do this at the beginning, but how many should I expect before I get concerned? My RIR is laying small, but perfect eggs. She just started as well, so I don't think it's the feed (Layer plus free choice oyster shells), our water is well water and is tested frequently. Another thing is that she lays at night! She was singing away at 9pm last night. Sure enough at 7am when it's just barely light out, we checked...another wet mess. I think she must stomp on them or something!
She seems perfectly happy and healthy.

Sorta normal or should I add this to my worry wort check list?

 

[Judy]

You are required to wait one month before you're allowed to start worrying.

Probably it's not so much that she's laying at night, as they slide out of her at night.

Hope time takes care of it for you.

 

[duckking]

OK....I will try and not worry for ummmmmm another 3 weeks, 2 days and about 47 minutes......

 

[Big_Dave]

I just found a shell less egg in the nesting box. It's the size of one of the silkie eggs. I thought both the hens were already laying, but I've never actually seen the younger one lay.

First time I've ever seen this. Can I worry?

 

[artsyrobin]

do you have oystershell down for them? they will eat it if they need calcium- younger hens do that occasionally, having my younger ones doing this-

 

[duckking]

Quote:
If I can't worry yet, neither can you

 

[Jesseschickens]

Are you feeding them layer food with oyster shell in it??? if so that could be a problem they wont eat the oyster shell they will eat the food. The next time you here the egg song go watch her quietly so you dont disrupt her. If its a rubber egg(egg with no shell) than there is nothing to worry about. If it is jut egg that comes out than that could be bad.Some new layers become eggbound. Is you layer food have enough calcium in it??? If it is a rubber egg ther is nothing to worry about. I have an almost 2 year old red sex link that lays the occasional rubber egg.

 

[duckking]

My Delaware is laying at night. By the time I get up in the AM it's done and usually a mess. I don't know if she's laying a rubber egg or it's just egg coming out. She never lays it in the nest box, but on the shelf outside the nest boxes. The hens get layer feed and calcium on the side for free pickings (oyster shells). I have one hen laying every day, but she is in the house as she is injured. Her eggs are smallish but she's on antibiotics and just started laying. We have got 3 from her in 4 days. The other two hens haven't started yet.

What does it mean if she is laying just the egg with no shell at all? Is that even possible? She was smeared with egg yolk the first time it happened, so I know it was an egg, not weird poop or something.

Now I'm worried again.....

 

[Ruth Ann]

We went a couple months with getting shell less eggs. I think they were slipping out at night...while on roost.
I got them on oyster shell and it stopped after a few weeks.
Mine are still less than a year old.
We always clean the coop each day...but the chickens were eating it some before we got out there in the morning.
I also think they walked in it and made the mess even worse.
But the problem has stopped for us for now.
I always have shell for them.
I don't think I would worry to much.

 

[blueberrychickens]

Give them some yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, etc & feed their egg shells back to them. That should help. I've had a few of those, some broken, some not. All have been found on the poop board, never in their nest boxes.