Decoding egg problems

[Eronica]

Hello everyone.

This morning when I let my chickens out from the coop, I noticed that one of the chickens layed an extremely soft egg and because of it, the egg had popped inside the coop. Then a few minutes after I let them out, there was one hen by my door steps, I thought it was strange that she didn't eat right away like the rest. By the time everyone had their fill and left to the grassy area, this one hen still hasn't joined them or eat. I come back a few moments later to check on her and to my surprise she layed an egg, the egg however has very thin shell. I picked it up to crack it and it did contain the egg white and yolk. I am concerned if perhaps this is the same hen who layed two different eggs early this morning.

I feed my hens oyster shell to help with the egg quality and 16% layer feed pellets. Provide fresh water every morning and occasionally give them healthy treats like sliced apples and pumpkins.

Is there something I can do to figure out what is happening, or how I can help her?

(STORY TIME)
Our LAST HEN before this flock died because of a similar egg laying problem- her egg however broke inside her. She had an eggbound problem and I did all home remedies solutions but she wasn't getting better, so we had to put her down.

I don't want to put another hen down- but I'm not sure how to solve this different scenario.

My hens never lay eggs early in the morning, they lay around noon time.

The yolk looks normal but I noticed the egg white is surrounded with watery fluid, it is not sticky or gooey.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How long has she been laying?
If she's new layer it could be a glitch. Some other causes of soft shelled eggs would be respiratory illness, poor nutrition and disturbances in the flock.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

 

[Eronica]

How long has she been laying?
If she's new layer it could be a glitch. Some other causes of soft shelled eggs would be respiratory illness, poor nutrition and disturbances in the flock.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

Probably 3 months. The only disturbance there has been was adding a new hen to the flock. (She is small though compared to the rest of the hens) The coop doesn't smell like ammonia. Thanks for the article I've read it many times. Are there any other things I can do though? Like inside the coop I'm trying to do a deep litter method but I've read mixed reviews that it shouldn't be done because it only works well in dirt floors and other people who have success in it. I've also read mixed opinions about using DE in the deep litter method.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

There are many factors that affect egg laying - anything from genetics to nutrition and disease. Making sure they are eating a nutritionally balanced feed, fresh water, oyster shell on the side, not too many treats that will dilute their daily nutritional intake, keeping droppings cleaned up, keeping stress to a minimum and monitoring the flock for internal and external parasites are all good practices.

 

[aart]

By the time everyone had their fill and left to the grassy area, this one hen still hasn't joined them or eat

Is this how you feed them....or is there a feeder elsewhere that is always full and available?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

… Our LAST HEN before this flock died because of a similar egg laying problem- her egg however broke inside her. She had an eggbound problem...

Read up on Newcastle Disease and a disease called Infectious Bronchitis.

 

[New2Chicks97]

I had a Buff Orpington that laid soft shelled eggs and very thin shelled eggs for about her first 4 months she laid. Finally, between Purina Layena with calcium and the oyster shells her egg shells improved and are fine. I guess it just takes a while for some chickens. She was also my last girl to start laying.

 

[Eronica]

Is this how you feed them....or is there a feeder elsewhere that is always full and available?

Yes I have a round feeder that hangs and I normally stick with that, only occasionally I will also scatter some feed on the grass. Usually the hens, the red ones will eat first (the hen I'm keeping an eye on is red) but this time she didn't go right away.