First egg! Help with soft shelled eggs and what to feed.

[TheYLWFlock]

Well we got our first egg! It was laid by sweet little Buttercup the 18 week old mixed breed bantam, on top of the food container of all places! We think maybe it’s because our nest boxes were really low to the ground so I quickly built a new raised one this morning. Also it would make sense she laid it there because she doesn’t know where it’s supposed to go! Do you have any tips/tricks or ideas on how to encourage laying in the nest box? That said, it was only her first egg so we’ll just have to see where she lays next time! Its so tiny compared to the large grocery store eggs, haha. It’s a very egg-citing moment, here are some pictures:

 

[Sg4]

Congratulations!!
Yes having the nest box off the ground is best. They also like their privacy when laying, so make sure the nest box is in a dark quiet place. This can be as easy as making little curtains to hang in the front. Keep the bedding clean and just make sure she fits in their comfortably. I had a buff orpington that was a big girl! Sweet thing, but she was laying on the ground because the nest box was a bit too small for her.
Congrats again!! The first egg is always exciting!

 

[Criticalicious]

Put a fake egg in the nest box and if you see her looking around for a nest, yelling the egg song, try putting her in the box for a minute. She should root around and sit for awhile before she lays the egg, and if she doesn't do that, it's possible she doesn't like the nest box for some reason.

 

[Perris]

first egg!
re: getting her to lay in the nest box, further to @Criticalicious ' post, if you haven't got a fake egg, a golf ball or other small ball will do.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Alright thanks everyone! We found our Jersey Giant (20 weeks, very ready to lay; red comb and wattles/squats when approached) in the nest book checking it out, she didn’t lay, but I’m pretty sure that when she does, it will be in there. Here is a picture of the nest box:

Also, I’m not sure what bedding to use in the box, is normal pine shavings fine? I will definitely use the golf ball trick, thanks for that idea!

 

[Perris]

I put some straw in the nest box as well as shavings; I'm not sure it makes any practical difference to them but it helps mark it out as a special area within the coop

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Crazy thing just happened! We just witnessed our Jersey Giant Ruth lay an egg—she was in their large extended pen and my mom noticed that she had poop stuck to her butt feathers, then she started walking around all hunched up and I knew she was laying, then out plopped an egg! But this egg is very weird, the shell is soft so she probably didn’t have enough calcium (ever since I found the other egg this morning I’ve put oyster shell into the coop). Now I’m wondering if the egg from this morning was Ruth’s too, but the egg we found this morning (laid last night, my grandma saw it last night but thought it was a fake egg) had a very thick, hard to crack shell. Is is possible that one chicken can lay such different eggs in less than 24 hours? They are the same size and similar colour but the shell is what’s weird. The new one we just watched being laid is very squishy. Here’s some pictures:

Also thank you @Perris for the nest box material advice.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

And the plot thickens...! I went outside to put them back into the coop and found a yolk and white just lying on the dirt. I assume it came from Ruth as well. There’s oyster shell in the coop and I do t know what else to do. The others were inspecting it but nobody ate it, so that’s good news! Poor Ruth has been through a lot!! Sorry no picture, but I’m sure you can imagine what it looked like. I’m beginning to think this morning/last nights egg was also Ruth’s...

@Perris @Criticalicious @Sg4 @casportpony @Wyorp Rock can any of you help?

 

[TheYLWFlock]

Also they are still eating their 18% food, should I keep it like that or should I get layer feed and feed them that or should I do a mix??

 

[Perris]

I've had soft shelled eggs just like yours from a couple of my girls when they started laying, and indeed have had two dropped from the roost over the last two days from - I guess - one I've been waiting for ages to start laying (she's about 24 weeks!) so I wouldn't worry about it, it'll come right in due course as their bodies get used to producing eggs. I give the contents to our dog, but you could also scramble them and feed them back to the chickens. Re feed, others are better placed to comment on that as I don't use processed feed.