First egg help please!

[Hicksy]

Hi all wondering if you can help me out.
New to chicken world and raised my 4 chicks from day olds to hens now. They are a bit young i think to be laying but have had quite a few eggs. They were born April 21st and today is September 1st. I know one hen is laying for sure but I was getting two eggs a day now it dropped to one. One of the hens acts like she is going to lay but nothing. She goes to the nesting box lays down for a while then no egg production. I have found about 4 soft shelled eggs around the yard and in the coop so I know they are close. I'm hoping all of those cant be from the same chicken. Anyway I am reaching out for help on this to understand my chickens and if I should be worried or change something in there diet or coop.
Thank you

 

[Nutcase]

Hi all wondering if you can help me out.
New to chicken world and raised my 4 chicks from day olds to hens now. They are a bit young i think to be laying but have had quite a few eggs. They were born April 21st and today is September 1st. I know one hen is laying for sure but I was getting two eggs a day now it dropped to one. One of the hens acts like she is going to lay but nothing. She goes to the nesting box lays down for a while then no egg production. I have found about 4 soft shelled eggs around the yard and in the coop so I know they are close. I'm hoping all of those cant be from the same chicken. Anyway I am reaching out for help on this to understand my chickens and if I should be worried or change something in there diet or coop.
Thank you

It's normal to have a few weird eggs when your hens are first starting to lay. However prolonged production of soft-shelled eggs is a sign of some sort of deficiency. They should ideally be on layer feed as well as food scraps and oyster shell. If oyster shell isn't available then crushed eggshells work just as well, providing the calcium needed to produce good strong eggs.
Hope I helped and good luck!

 

[Hicksy]

Cool thanks for the reply. Any answers for the hen that is acting like she is laying but not producing. And how our egg production went from two to one per day.

 

[redstar14]

Oyster shells i dont recommend eggshells may provoke egg pecking if u do use them make sure to wash thoroughly

 

[Nutcase]

Quote:

Oyster shells i dont recommend eggshells may provoke egg pecking if u do use them make sure to wash thoroughly

Eggshells are fine if they are crushed. They don't provoke egg eating if the pieces are so small that they are unrecognisable as an egg shell. Also, if I happen to collect a soft-shelled or crooked egg, I mash it up and give it right back to them. They love eggs, raw or cooked. Soft-shelled eggs are fine to eat but I usually give them back to the chickens.

 

[redstar14]

Eggshells are fine if they are crushed.  They don't provoke egg eating if the pieces are so small that they are unrecognisable as an egg shell.  Also, if I happen to collect a soft-shelled or crooked egg, I mash it up and give it right back to them.  They love eggs, raw or cooked.  Soft-shelled eggs are fine to eat but I usually give them back to the chickens.

I agree if they are crushed but I would not give them raw eggs if they put two and two together you can have a big problem

 

[Hicksy]

I don't have a problem with them eating the eggs. Only had a few soft ones. Reall would like my other questions answered.

 

[redstar14]

She may be egg bound

 

[Nutcase]

Your coop is probably fine, the warmth factor is really only important in cold climates. The soft-shelled eggs you found probably came from different chickens, as I said before it's normal to have weird eggs and uneven laying rates when they are just beginning to lay. Soon enough they'll get used to laying and settle into a routine. And yes they are a bit young to lay, but hey, every chicken is different!

 

[Hicksy]

Thank you for your help