broken egg (soft) in pooping board

[LaPetiteFarmer]

I suspect my EE (10 months old) to have laid two soft eggs in the pooping board. I am a bit concerned because she is not in layer feed because some of the other chickens are only 3 months old. She has oyster shell available at all times and now I am adding crushed egg shells to their treats. Should I change their feed to layer? Will this hurt the other ones?
Thanks

 

[mickey328]

I'm an advocate of offering both grit and calcium separately, rather than in food. They have great instincts for what they need and will help themselves. Is she just starting to lay or has she been laying before? And if so, does she use the box? If she's just starting, soft eggs are more the norm than not...it takes a while for their systems to get "fine tuned" You can try offering more protein...yogurt, cheese, meat, cooked beans. This will help with egg production. If you want to add eggshells, try to just give it to her, not the others.

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

They have grit and oyster shells separated from their food. I add egg shells to their treats. I gave them (as treats) plenty of cheese, rice, pasta, yogurt, watermelon, beans, and of course their favorite mealworms lol. She has been laying since July (she is a really good layer too) and she always goes inside the nesting box.

 

[mickey328]

That's awesome! You're sure it was her that laid the eggs? Could it have been one of the younger ones who's just "practicing"? If not...I hope someone more experienced will chime in, cuz I dunno what could cause it. Sorry

 

[DianaMallory]

What breed are the 3 month old?
Laying feed will not hurt them. My girls went from med chick feed to chick feed by 3 months old they were on layer. They also get treats. Every morning they have oatmeal which I was told helps promote larger eggs. And with their Oatmeal they get what ever I have on hand fruits/vegies! I have sand in my coop so I don't need grit, I mix eggs shells with their layer feed and I get 10/11 a day out of 11 golden comets! I give them yogurt when I have it. When they first started laying at 14 weeks. I did start getting a few soft eggs but after about a week of laying they would get the hang of it. Not all of them started at 14 weeks. But it wasn't long after that.

 

[Malissa]

Ugh...same thing happened to me today! I have 2 of our Barred Rocks laying...one for a month, the other just about





2 weeks. I have 2 EE's and 1 Welsummer that have yet to lay (they were all hatched beginning of May). So for the last week or so, since hen #2 started laying...I get 2 eggs per day minus 1 or 2 days. Also have gotten 2 double yokers. Neither one of these girls had any oddball eggs so far. So today, one of the Barred Rocks is in the nest box when I get home about 4pm...odd...they always lay in the am. So under her, is an egg..presumably hers as she was my first layer. The decoy egg is in as well. I remove her egg and put in the fridge. She goes back in the box and sets. The rest of the gang ran out to range and she stayed behind. I removed both the decoy eggs and kicked her out and she finally stayed out with the rest of them. Then I see 2 soft shelled eggs....both are in the poop under the roost bars. One is in pretty good shape so it must have been laid down there? The other was crushed a bit so either was stepped on or laid from above. Both of the shells are translucent and light tan. So I'm pretty sure that one hen couldn't have laid them both...isn't that not possible? Both BR's have laid in the nest boxes since day 1...so I'm not sure which one laid them! I would assume the shell's would be a different color if it was the EE's or even the Welsummer? They have been on layer for probably a month now, but I am mixing in the rest of our chick starter crumbles with it..

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

I have a two 3 months old, a Brahma and a Wyandote, after I have a lot of 4 months old, Barred Rock, Welsummers, french marans, blue rock, etc... and the rest are between 5 and 10 months old. Only 4 are laying, three EE and one Ameraucana (which actually laid 2 and stopped ever since). Im pretty sure they are my EE because they always roost at the same spot.
I heard layer feed didn't have enough supplements for the younger ones, that's why I continue giving them their organic grower crumbles. Maybe I should switch to layer then.
Thanks anyways, i am going to keep on eye on her and see if it continues because i found two eggs like that one for the past two weeks.

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

Ugh...same thing happened to me today! I have 2 of our Barred Rocks laying...one for a month, the other just about





2 weeks. I have 2 EE's and 1 Welsummer that have yet to lay (they were all hatched beginning of May). So for the last week or so, since hen #2 started laying...I get 2 eggs per day minus 1 or 2 days. Also have gotten 2 double yokers. Neither one of these girls had any oddball eggs so far. So today, one of the Barred Rocks is in the nest box when I get home about 4pm...odd...they always lay in the am. So under her, is an egg..presumably hers as she was my first layer. The decoy egg is in as well. I remove her egg and put in the fridge. She goes back in the box and sets. The rest of the gang ran out to range and she stayed behind. I removed both the decoy eggs and kicked her out and she finally stayed out with the rest of them. Then I see 2 soft shelled eggs....both are in the poop under the roost bars. One is in pretty good shape so it must have been laid down there? The other was crushed a bit so either was stepped on or laid from above. Both of the shells are translucent and light tan. So I'm pretty sure that one hen couldn't have laid them both...isn't that not possible? Both BR's have laid in the nest boxes since day 1...so I'm not sure which one laid them! I would assume the shell's would be a different color if it was the EE's or even the Welsummer? They have been on layer for probably a month now, but I am mixing in the rest of our chick starter crumbles with it..

I wil not worry too much about it, I think they are working on it. They haven't been laying for too long, so they still try to figure it out. I will definitely change their feed for layer though because they need more calcium and offer them some oyster shell too.

 

[Malissa]

Yes, I think I will get some oyster shell too. Hopefully they will figure it all out soon!