egg so soft it breaks in the nest. cant isolate who is doing this

[A.J.'s]

She has continued to do this since she started laying. No one else lays these type eggs. If I get to it before it is broken, crushed, just picking it up will break it into many peices.
This hen is one that has a back ground of in breeding. I finally got rid of my rooster and replaced him with new blood and now I do that regularly.
I furnish oyster shell even tho I dont feel they need it because customers tell me my eggs are the hardest they have ever seen.
Just this one gal and I feel that every egg she lays is like this.
How can I find out who is doing this? I cant put each hen in a private nest. I guess I could but

 

[basicliving]

I am having a similar issue with a new layer that has never laid a hard egg. In fact, her last three have had no shell whatsoever. I know who it is because a couple of weeks ago I found her acting very puny. When I checked her out one of the soft shells had burst and was stuck half out of her vent. The white of the egg had basically glued it there. I soaked her bottom and was able to gently tug it out - along with another that was right behind it. I kept her inside in a dog cage, but she refused to eat while confined. I was hoping to keep her inside and feed her cheese, yogurt, and other calcium rich foods, but she refused to cooperate. I marked her head and put her back with the others and she ate like crazy

Other than catching her in the act, or finding her with an issue like I did, I'm not sure how you figure out who's doing it. Even if you do find out, I'm not sure there's anything you can do. I have 20 pullets and they all have food and oyster shell available 24 X 7. They free range and seem to find plenty to eat there too. The eggs I get are VERY hard - but this one girl just won't lay anything but soft shelled - or NO shell. I suppose I should probably cull her - I'm just really hoping her body finally figures it all out. I suspect she's got some internal issue or just plain messed up genes.

I did get a PM suggesting adding liquid calcium to their water. I wonder if the roos and others that don't need the extra would be effected by it?

I know this doesn't help, but wanted you to know you are not alone!

Best of luck,
Penny

 

[coffeelady3]

Are they getting any sort of calcuim supplement? Putting out a dish of oyster shell may help.

 

[cheeptrick]

I get a few from time to time...it is just a glitch. NO worries. Oyster Shell will help but will not prevent it. Mine get oyster shell free choice and I still get a few of the shell less eggs from time to time.

Organic FEED is the best for this also...I noticed when I switched over to organic my egg quality was so MUCH better!

Good Luck to you.

 

[cheeptrick]

Quote:
I had a chicken with this same issue...we did end up culling her. It was impossible to keep her vent clean and eventually she prolapsed and became so infected that any medicine did not help. The prolapse never healed (she laid daily during the whole ordeal)....she lived with us in the house for a month and then I finally said it was time. I put her back in with the flock for a few days just to give her some time ranging and feeling like a chicken again instead of a hospital patient and then when her vent prolapsed with 2 eggs stuck inside....we did the deed. Poor thing....we really tried and I loved her. She was a beautiful bird....
Hope yours gets better quick!!

 

[tim_TX]

Depending on the size of your flock, you might consider using a trap nest or two. Basically the hen goes in the box to lay and cannot get back out until you let her out. This allows you to associate a particular egg with a particular hen.

 

[fornese]

are you using "grits", or Oyster shells?