Anyone Else Have Soft Eggs Dropped at Night?

[chickadee2]

Our 5 1/2 week old Production Red has been laying for about 3 weeks now. Her 2nd and 3rd eggs were double yolked. Several times I have found a soft egg that appears to have dropped into feces under the night time roost. When she lays normal eggs they are in the nestbox. The chickens have about 144 sq feet, so they should have plenty of room.

1 PR, 1EE, 1BL, 1BR

 

[slickchick]

funny....I have a 2 year old hen that happened to yesterday. found the soft egg under the roost with feces stuck to it....I hope we can get an answer as to why.

 

[baltimoreharps]

I'd like an answer to this as well, this has happened 4 times in the last two weeks, with shell-on eggs in between the soft eggs.
The age of the chicken is undetermined since we're new to the raising and bought the flock with little details as to ages of the birds. We do know that we have 3 that are laying, two very old girls and one that is a mystery as to whether she is laying or not.

They have more than enough room foot wise, and all seem very happy and are laying well other than the one that is laying the every other soft egg.

We feed them layer pellets, with oyster shell on the side in a separate bowl, lots of kitchen scraps that are on the treat list, and provide them grit since the 6 are in a tractor and are moved several times a day.

We're just at a loss as to why this is happening and were going to post the same question...

 

[baltimoreharps]

Oh, sorry, I also wanted to clarify that this is a se;f contained tractor with 2 nesting boxes and the roost built up in the top of the A-frame tractor, so they do have a coop upstairs.

 

[chickadee2]

Thanks for the answers on this. I thought maybe it had to do with the Production Red being young or a vent problem since her 2nd and 3rd egg were double yolked and large. I feed starter/grower feed and will switch to layer when the bag runs out. We supplement with salad scraps from the preparation (no dressing) and scraps that do not have fat or salt or sugar. Plus they have available oyster shell, and get meal worms every few days. Also, fruit scraps (no citrus). I also caught June bugs for them one night. So their diet should be varied enough to keep away any deficiency.

 

[Krys109uk]

Soft eggs are not unusual, especially at start of lay. they can be at any time of day. They usally get themselves sorted out before long.

 

[chickadee2]

I was concerned that they might start eating them as one was broken, but that did not appear to have happened.
It was good to hear that this might sort out and that it appears to be a new layer problem. Thanks for the responses.

 

[mrholdem11]

I have the same problem, last night 7 eggs dropped and were soft, what kind of responces did you get?

 

[slickchick]

I haven't gotten any responses yet. Only people that it is happening to but no solution.

 

[Krys109uk]

What are you feeding your chickens? Are they on a good layer's ration? Do they have access to a calcium suppliment such as oyster shell?

Most often soft shelled eggs happen at the start of lay. Before long the pullet's body will sort things out without any action on your part being necessary. Presuming correct feed being available.