Broody hen lays shell less egg

[Cerian]

One of my hens who is about 1 yr old, has gone broody, but did not lay any eggs herself, so I put some of the other hens eggs under her, she doesn’t appear to have moved, or pooped. When I check on her she will drink water and eat a small amount. Today I found and egg with no hard shell additional to the ones she was sitting on, should I be worried??

Excuse the photos it wouldn’t let me post without uploading them

 

[BDutch]

I would be worried if the egg is so soft it could easily break.
Did you mark the hatching eggs?
Take out all other eggs asap. Or even better (if possible), make a divider and make it impossible for the other hens to lay in the nest with hatching eggs.

 

[BDutch]

Reading your question again I wonder. Is your ‘broody’ not broody but taking her time to lay her first egg? I had several pullets who had a first egg with a soft shell.

 

[Cerian]

Thank you for replying,

Yes I took the soft egg out straight away, she hasn’t laid anymore but continues to sit on a clutch of 9 eggs. She won’t leave the nest on her own, so I am lifting her out once or twice a day, for 10 mins, she will eat drink and poop during this time…… though the poop is runny!

 

[BDutch]

Thank you for replying,

Yes I took the soft egg out straight away, she hasn’t laid anymore but continues to sit on a clutch of 9 eggs. She won’t leave the nest on her own, so I am lifting her out once or twice a day, for 10 mins, she will eat drink and poop during this time…… though the poop is runny!

This runny poop sounds not okay.
Im not an expert on this. But a sick hen should not sit on eggs imho. Is it possible she ate something that gives diarrhoea?

Give healthy food fit for broodies and fresh water with a little apple cider vinegar in it. I would feed the broody organic chick feed , a few mealworms and fresh fine cut grasses.

Maybe consider to buy a incubator and break her broodiness if the poop doesn’t improve and you suspect she is sick.