Egg material without shell or membrane

[Lindesu]

My young hens, roughly 6 months old are laying regularly now. Today when I went out I found two eggs lying in a little pool of egg whites (maybe a tiny bit of yolk). Initially I thought an egg had been dropped onto the bottom of the next box and broken. The girls tend to hollow out a place leaving the bare wood over time. However, when I picked up the eggs from the mess, they were not broken. No evidence of any shell or membrane anywhere in the box or just outside. I'm a novice really. Had hens in the past, but its been many many years. What's going on? We feed laying mash, plus scraps and scratch. Mealworms and bugs from the pool for snacks. Any ideas? I did clean up the mess and put new bedding down.

 

[aart]

Chances are a soft shelled egg was laid with the whole ones.

Cut out the scraps and scratch...mealworms in moderation only.
Pool bugs, soaked in chlorine, not a good idea, IMO.

Might also put out some Oyster Shell in a separate feeder.

 

[Lindesu]

Thanks for the suggestions. Pool is saltwater, so not so much chlorine. Our hair and body never smell of chlorine. Plus snatch the bugs up quickly, so probably not a big issue. We will add the oyster shell and cut back on the scraps, bugs and scratch. So far this is a one-off. And it wasn't like it was a full egg. Only about a tablespoonful. I couldn't help wondering if somehow an egg was shelled out before the full egg was encased.

 

[aart]

And it wasn't like it was a full egg. Only about a tablespoonful. I couldn't help wondering if somehow an egg was shelled out before the full egg was encased.

They probably ate most of it, including any thin or soft shell(membrane), and/or it soaked down into the bedding.

 

[Lindesu]

I guess it's possible they ate it. We gather eggs several times per day, so wasn't out there long. I'm sure it wasn't soaked into bedding. The hens had hollowed out most of that, so that the two eggs and this bit of egg white were right on the bottom boards. One more question: if it was a soft shell egg, would that have come from a different chicken? Or would the same hen laid both a hard and then a soft shell before or after. I know that typically hens would lay at most one per day.

 

[aart]

One more question: if it was a soft shell egg, would that have come from a different chicken? Or would the same hen laid both a hard and then a soft shell before or after.

Could be either.
If a bird lays two eggs, the second is most often a softie.
Not uncommon with new layers.

 

[Lindesu]

Thanks Aart! I'll bet this is my explanation! These girls just started laying in mid-September.