Finding egg on coop floor

[NZChookdom]

I have a compound question and am hoping you learned folk can help!
This morning I found a very soft shelled egg on the coop floor under the roost. Two mornings ago I found a damaged hard shelled egg in a similar spot (and it was a double yolk).

I have chook cams but can only make out a time frame when the egg appeared. The girl directly above (or near) the egg is one who is already laying and knows where to go. And she laid an egg yesterday. But can one "slip" out??

Or is this a new girl who doesn't have her clock synchronised yet? The girls move around in the night and there are two who do not roost at all but stay on the walkway/floor. It could be the NH red as she is old enough (27+ wks) and her comb is getting redder. And from the walkway it would softly land on the coop floor.

Any ideas????

 

[azygous]

It could be a new layer or an older hen with reproductive issues. Due to your description of the egg as being "very soft shelled", that egg is more likely from an older hen with declining shell quality due to improper calcium absorption.

The reason why poor shell quality eggs "slip out" during the night is because they are not as efficient to lay as hard shell eggs, and they feel different to the hen, perhaps feeling more like poop than an egg.

New layers often lay from the perch because they are still learning to recognize the sensation of needing to lay an egg or their cycle is still being fine tuned.

The issue with an older hen laying soft eggs from the perch is more concerning and you need to watch for any hen that's lethargic or acting like they're in pain with tail held low and flat or spending an hour or more in a nest without producing anything. That one is a candidate for egg binding and could use a few days of calcium therapy. One of these per day until eggs are normal and laid in a normal manner. Give it whole directly into the beak.

 

[NZChookdom]

It could be a new layer or an older hen with reproductive issues. Due to your description of the egg as being "very soft shelled", that egg is more likely from an older hen with declining shell quality due to improper calcium absorption.

Thanks heaps for this. I assume a new layer as I do not have any older hens. The oldest is Old Girl and this is her 2nd season (was injured and gifted with the pullets). She lays daily on clockwork. For me the egg was soft shelled, but my definition may be off!!

 

[Mtnboomer]

If you have new layers, this all sounds very normal. Eventually they get on the right cycle and learn where to lay.

 

[azygous]

An egg with a shell, though thin, I also call soft shell. We're on the same page.

I may be an outlier in believing that such an egg from a new layer spells trouble and should immediately be addressed, but I believe in erring on the side of caution when it comes to my hens' health and safety. There is a chance this is something that will correct itself, but if it were to happen to one of my current six new layers, I wouldn't assume it will.

Any such egg increases the chances of getting crushed inside the pullet, setting up an infection that could make her sterile before her career even gets a running start. It also increases the risk of egg binding due to the shell gland not producing enough calcium for a solid shell.

The treatment is so simple, easy, and harmless, it seems to me a no-brainer to treat for it to avoid a potential crisis. One calcium citrate tablet whole, directly into the beak once a day until you see her laying a good quality egg. One day, two days on calcium and the problem may be corrected that quickly. Here's what I use.