For the last three days I've found the remains of an egg in the nesting box. One thought is that I have an egg eater but there are several other factors. 1. Over the last couple of months I have found the occasional egg with a soft shell, maybe once every other week. Up until this week, the egg always had some sort of soft membrane that I took to be a malformed shell of some sort but the last three have had no membrane or shell bits. 2. On two of the last three days there has also been a poop right next to the mess. Possibly a coincidence but the nesting boxes are usually poop-free 3. I have found intact eggs in the same nesting box with the broken egg Could this be some sort of illness causing my hen to lay eggs with no shells? I have 4 hens (Buff O, Wellsummer, Red SL & Barred Rock) all hatched April of 2013 who were laying great up until this fall. They get layer pellets (Modesto) as well as supplemental oyster shell. Is this something that may pass or something that would be best resolved by culling the bird that is laying these "eggs"? tis, tymimo
Hello! We have had numerous times with soft shelled eggs and broken eggs in the nesting boxes. Sometimes there may have not been enough padding and the egg cracked. I think the soft-shelled eggs are caused by a calcium deficiency. The droppings in the nesting box may be caused by them sleeping in them. Apple cider vinegar is awsome for their health and oyster shells or crushed egg shells is good for calcium.
