Egg is like a deflated balloon

[Bock-Bock-Bagock]

Looking around the posts it seems I have what is known as a "Shellless Egg". I checked on my girls around midnight when I got home from work and noticed an egg on the coop floor. It seemed normal at first glance so I thought I'd just collect it in the morning and not bother the ladies. Well this morning rolls around and I go to check the eggs and it looks feels like a deflated balloon.
So after looking around it seems I should try suplimenting calcium. The question I have is how much and how do you get a chicken to swallow a pill? It seems everyone suggests just getting over the counter vitamins for her. The other problem I have is determining which chicken is putting out the rubber eggs. I know it's not the easter egger. I've been trying to figure out what eggs are being laid by who so I can keep track of them. The barred rock and rhode island red are both putting out brown eggs. So I was trying to figure out which brown egg belongs to who.
Any advice? Would oyster shells be enough or would I have to feed the girls the pills? And I go back to "How do you get a chicken to eat a pill?"
I feed them Country Roads Layer Feed Crumble from Rural King. They free range about 2 hours a day.
Thanks.

 

[aart]

How old, in months, are these birds?

Have read that you can just pop the pill into the birds mouth and she will swallow it.
@azygous does this regularly.

I just provide oyster shells in a separate container/feeder.

 

[rosemarythyme]

How old, in months, are these birds?

x2. If these are young/new layers, and the soft egg is a one off, I wouldn't sweat it as that's a common problem that generally is resolved with some time.

Getting a chicken to take a pill is very easy. Open their beak, push the pill in towards the throat, and they'll swallow it. A standard breed chicken can easily swallow a whole mouse so a pill doesn't bother them at all. You will need to figure out who to supplement if it comes down to it though - if that's the case you could probably try supplementing one short term, and then another, and looking at results.

It's a good idea to have some source of calcium available on the side even with layer feed, as some birds have a higher need for it.

 

[aart]

If these are young/new layers, and the soft egg is a one off, I wouldn't sweat it as that's a common problem that generally is resolved with some time.

Yes.
Also if they are ~14-18 months old they are ramping down production to molt,
not unusual to get funky eggs around that time too.

 

[Bock-Bock-Bagock]

How old, in months, are these birds?

Have read that you can just pop the pill into the birds mouth and she will swallow it.
@azygous does this regularly.

I just provide oyster shells in a separate container/feeder.

They are just about 5 months old. I got them in the middle of June.

 

[Bock-Bock-Bagock]

x2. If these are young/new layers, and the soft egg is a one off, I wouldn't sweat it as that's a common problem that generally is resolved with some time.

Getting a chicken to take a pill is very easy. Open their beak, push the pill in towards the throat, and they'll swallow it. A standard breed chicken can easily swallow a whole mouse so a pill doesn't bother them at all. You will need to figure out who to supplement if it comes down to it though - if that's the case you could probably try supplementing one short term, and then another, and looking at results.

It's a good idea to have some source of calcium available on the side even with layer feed, as some birds have a higher need for it.

I figured since this was their first round of laying and they just recently switched to layer it was probably part of them adjusting their bodies. Good to know they are easy to pop pills into if need be. They are easy to handle as I had them since 5 days old and handled them daily to get them used to it.

 

[Bock-Bock-Bagock]

Yes.
Also if they are ~14-18 months old they are ramping down production to molt,
not unusual to get funky eggs around that time too.

I hope their molts are a few feathers at a time and not all at once as the cold weather is starting to hit.

 

[aart]

They are just about 5 months old. I got them in the middle of June.

Not an adult annual molt then.
They will have several juvenile molts by ~6 months old, but should be done before laying commences.

How long since laying started?
It can take up to a months or so for things to smooth out, and it's not uncommon to get some funky eggs during that time.

 

[Bock-Bock-Bagock]

Not an adult annual molt then.
They will have several juvenile molts by ~6 months old, but should be done before laying commences.

How long since laying started?
It can take up to a months or so for things to smooth out, and it's not uncommon to get some funky eggs during that time.

They started laying about 8 days ago. I figured I could add some oyster shells to their food mix and give them some electrolyte mix as the weather is kinda swinging a bit.

 

[aart]

They started laying about 8 days ago. I figured I could add some oyster shells to their food mix and give them some electrolyte mix as the weather is kinda swinging a bit.

Yes on the oyster shells, but in a separate feeder not mixed with feed.
Sprinkle some of it on the ground where the forage.
Electrolytes are not needed.
No need for anything drastic, it's just part of chickeneering.