Chickens started laying soft eggs

[chookychick]

Hi folks,

I am new to the wonderful world of chicken keeping and this forum. My 3 hybrid chickens are absolutely gorgeous... have been loving keeping them over the summer and the amazing fresh eggs they lay me. They have been laying brilliantly all summer but just in the last week have started mislaying, in the morning I am sometimes finding one or two soft-shell eggs in the coop. I am giving them extra oyster-shell in case it is due calcium deficiency. Their main diet is organic layers pellets, plus a little bit of scratchings, veg and dried mealworms every day. They are very well in themselves. I was thinking it might be due to the change in daylight cycle, as nights are drawing in very fast here at the moment. I think they might also be starting to moult. Any suggestions please

Thanks





Rosalie - Light Sussex
Florence - BlueBelle
Ermintrude - Columbian Blacktail

 

[sumi]

There are a few possible causes for soft eggs, usually it's something missing from their diet, like calcium, but it can also be laying during a molt, internal or external parasites, in some cases disease. There's more info on that and more causes here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

 

[chookychick]

I've found out why... I give them a bit of tinned sweetcorn in the morning as a treat and had accidentally picked up a tin with salt in it. Too much salt can cause this problem. I have now switched to what i have been using which has no added salt and they are fine.

Thanks Sumi

 

[appps]

That's interesting. I hadn't realised that amount of salt would affect them.

 

[chookychick]

I am absolutely certain this was the cause, I will be very careful in the future Just so pleased they are back to normal. Another 3 gorgeous eggs today