Do you think chickens know, instinctively, that they are going to lay a soft shell egg

[FireGurl26]

Hello. My RIR's will be 21 wks old Tues. They have all started laying now. We have gotten some eggs each day. I noticed, the first ones some girls have layed were brown with white speckles on them. Then the next ones, next day are fully brown. The question i have to all of you...Do you think chickens knwo when they are laying a soft shelled egg? I ask this because, I noticed once in awhile in the morning, I will find a busted egg on the ground of the catch tray below the roosts. This area is fenced off, and I access it through the small door outside, so I can clean out the poop and nasty stuff. Keeps the coop so much cleaner since most of the time spent in the coop is sleeping. My girls are free-range but lock em up at night in coop. I wonder why the soft shelled eggs are the only ones I find on the clean out tray. I never find one in the nest boxes, nor do i find a good egg on the roost bars and fencing. Maybe my girls know, this is where the yucky stuff goes, that mom cleans up. So, maybe that's why they lay the bad eggs there? Crazy thought. I mean, I know chickens aren't that bright but who knows? Anyone else experience this? BTW...it's only been a few soft shelled eggs. I believe they have one once and awhile, cuz they just started laying.

*To add a "Proud Mama" note: *.....
My one girl layed a double yolker on her second egg ever! Woohoo!!

 

[centrarchid]

When I have a hen producing an egg in a odd location, she is usually in poor health once they start laying in a nest. Soft eggs I think have a lot in common with a bad case of diarrhea where the eggs does not progesss through tract in a controlled manner. The lack of control is where an egg seems to slip past the "gate" and often at night. Small eggs also slip.

 

[FireGurl26]

When I have a hen producing an egg in a odd location, she is usually in poor health once they start laying in a nest. Soft eggs I think have a lot in common with a bad case of diarrhea where the eggs does not progesss through tract in a controlled manner. The lack of control is where an egg seems to slip past the "gate" and often at night. Small eggs also slip.

That's probably it. Nice, that it lands in the area that is easier for me to clean. I think my girls are in good health. No signs or odd behaviors.

 

[aldarita]

I have always wondered about that too. I have kept chickens for almost 5 years and I have found several soft shell eggs in the roosting boxes, never in the nests.

 

[aart]

I've seen chickens act very strange when passing a softie......stood stock still for 20-30 minutes,
when I went back to check on her, she was toodling around as usual and soft egg was on floor where she had been standing.
I imagine it must feel odd.

 

[MamaClucks]

We are new to caring for chickens. One of our hens, the Colombian Wyandotte, has laid quite a few soft eggs since the laying began a couple months ago. Today, I noticed she was acting strangely, standing still and as if in labor. I watched and waited and she finally passed a soft egg in the run, without even trying to get to the nesting area. The soft eggs have never been in the nests, always in the perch area or on the ground in the run. Normal eggs have never been laid in the run, always safe and sound in the nests. This one today is different than what we have seen....I attached the picture. Is this a sign of illness or just a soft egg? She seems to be fine now and went to eat right away after the episode.

 

[aart]

We are new to caring for chickens. One of our hens, the Colombian Wyandotte, has laid quite a few soft eggs since the laying began a couple months ago. Today, I noticed she was acting strangely, standing still and as if in labor. I watched and waited and she finally passed a soft egg in the run, without even trying to get to the nesting area. The soft eggs have never been in the nests, always in the perch area or on the ground in the run. Normal eggs have never been laid in the run, always safe and sound in the nests. This one today is different than what we have seen....I attached the picture. Is this a sign of illness or just a soft egg? She seems to be fine now and went to eat right away after the episode.

As I said above, the soft eggs feel 'strange' and they don't move along as well with the contractions as a hard shelled egg does,
I think that's why soft eggs are often laid in places other than the nests.
That 'tail' is extra membrane....unless it is solid inside.
As long as it doesn't happen frequently, it's just a 'glitch' and nothing to worry about.

 

[chickens really]

No, no....and No....More complex as to egg laying, weird eggs...Blah, blah ,blah.....Look it up....Best answer, to really get the right answer....

Cheers!