Eggs of new layers

[ivyleechick]

My girls are 19 weeks old and have just started laying this past week. We have two Australorps, a Production Red, a Dominique, a gold laced and silver laced wyandotte, a sapphire olive egger, and two EE's. I don't know which ones are laying, but I had a couple of soft ones initially, then the three solid eggs. I thought that the first set of soft eggs was just because they were new to laying, but then the two soft ones pictured here were picked off of the roosting area this morning and the weird one was taken out of the run this evening. Any ideas on why they are laying such soft eggs and why the last one is so deformed? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Eva2020]

Get Oyster shells! they should be at your local feed store, and you can mix them into their food or put them separately. The oyster shells are a source of calcium which will strengthen the shell. not sure what is causing that little tail thing though. Best of luck and congrats on your new layers!

 

[ivyleechick]

Eva2020

We have had oysters shells spread in their run and by their food since Monday, right after the first soft eggs were laid. Do you have any other ideas?

 

[NatJ]

It's fairly normal to get some odd eggs when pullets are starting to lay. And yes, they can bobble back and forth between normal eggs and unusual eggs for some time.

Since you are providing oyster shells, I would suggest just waiting & watching for a few weeks to see if they improve.

If you want to konw who is laying: pick each one up and look at her vent (where eggs/poop come out.) If it looks small and puckered up, she's not laying. If it looks larger and stretchy, she's laying. Check the Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers first, because they are probably not laying (judging by the color of those eggs.) Then when you find one that is laying, the difference will be fairly obvious.

 

[aart]

If you want to konw who is laying: pick each one up and look at her vent (where eggs/poop come out.) If it looks small and puckered up, she's not laying. If it looks larger and stretchy, she's laying.

Yep, and check the pelvic point(F-F) spacing, here's some visuals:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/who-is-laying-and-who-is-not-butt-check.73309/
It can take up to a month or so for things to smooth out.

Get Oyster shells! they should be at your local feed store, and you can mix them into their food

Never mix OS into feed.

 

[Eva2020]

Yeah pellets made for layers often have the oyster shells already mixed in, good to have extras if they need more!