Did I get a second egg today with a soft shell?

[sarah]

Hello,

I'm new to the forum (posting at least) and new to chickens!
I have 4 laying hens--two brown eggs and two green eggs. One of my brown layers, a modified Plymouth Rock, is my *egg machine*. She never misses and lays enormous eggs.

I check the henhouse when I let them out to range in the yard in the morning and when I get home from work in the evening. Today, I had 3 brown eggs, one of which was warm (and regular hard shelled) and one of which was VERY soft (almost just a membrane) and cold--presumably earlier in the day or even overnight and I missed it this morning.

I read somewhere that the egg color a hen lays first is her color for life. If this is true, one of our ladies has pushed out a second egg with a flimsy shell.

Am I nuts? Or just lucky to have such an over-achiever? Also, can I eat this softy?

 

[speckledhen]

You can eat it as long as the shell is intact and no bacteria got in through a tear. Sometimes one just comes through like that, even if they have layer feed and oyster shell or other calcium supplement. Molting can also do that as well as heat stress, but I think we're mostly over the bad heat now. Color has nothing to do with a thin shell-naturally that would be a lighter color.

 

[sarah]

Speckledhen,

Thanks for your prompt reply.

Is it possible that the same hen put out her regular egg AND the soft-shelled one in the same day?

And is it true that the first egg a hen lays will be her color for life?

In terms of the heat, none here in Indianapolis any longer. And in terms of molting, I haven't yet seen evidence of this yet. They have oyster shell available, although after finding the soft-shell, I gave them some more mixed with scratch so they would be sure to eat it...they would follow me to the moon for scratch!

Thanks!

 

[speckledhen]

It is possible, but maybe another hen laid it. The first egg is her color, BUT it will lighten as it gets closer to molting time, further into the cycle. Then after a break, it will go back to her regular original color, at least usually.