funky eggs

[jspdadx3]

I recently found a couple of eggs in the coop that have me concerned. The shells were extremely soft. So soft that the eggs were broken on the ground from a hen stepping on them. I picked one up and the shell is paper thin. It's rips like paper in my hand. Was told its because it was laid before it had time to completely mature inside the hen. Never heard of such a thing. My hens are only about 5 months old and we have found a couple of eggs that were fine prior to this. But we have found these soft thin ones 3 days in a row now. I'm baffled by th I.

 

[Nuggetirl]

Sometimes chickens lay funny eggs. If they have access to calcium, I'm betting you won't see them again since you posted about it. (jinxed it!)

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I recently found a couple of eggs in the coop that have me concerned. The shells were extremely soft. So soft that the eggs were broken on the ground from a hen stepping on them. I picked one up and the shell is paper thin. It's rips like paper in my hand. Was told its because it was laid before it had time to completely mature inside the hen. Never heard of such a thing. My hens are only about 5 months old and we have found a couple of eggs that were fine prior to this. But we have found these soft thin ones 3 days in a row now. I'm baffled by th I.

At five months these are new layers - and this sort of egg is pretty normal at that stage. A new layer has a production system that is just starting to work and it can take a bit for all the kinks to get worked out and all the parts to start working like they are meant to all the time - so you see occasional glitches, etc.
As noted above, it is important to provide sufficient calcium for your girls so they can produce good egg shells - so offering oyster shell and unmedicated grower feed or a layer ration is important, but I would chalk these particular glitch eggs up to new production rather than insufficient calcium.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X2 the occasional soft or shell-less eggs are usually just a glitch in the egg laying system and they are especially common in new layers or in birds just coming back into lay as as they get into gear and

They are usually nothing to worry about unless you get a lot of them or one bird never lays anything else.
It is not necessarily related to a lack of calcium as such, it can be related to the bird's ability to use calcium or a defective shell gland. If it is just one bird doing it continuously, it is probably a problem specific to her, and probably not diet/ disease/ disturbances which would affect the whole flock. There is a list of causes on The Poultry Site ... http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Mean to add -- welcome to BYC!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

You've received good advice above.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

X3 from all of the above posters. New layers can have a lot of trouble with thin and no shelled eggs. Takes a while to get the egg laying machine in gear. If these are older birds, they may be having trouble putting on a shell. I have one like that right now and have been giving her extra calcium in hopes she puts a good shell on. Shell glands can go bad.

Just keep them on layer feed and oyster shell on the side. Keep the treats down to a minimum so they are eating as much layer feed as possible to get all the calcium they need.

Good luck and I hope you can get down to the bottom of this soon!

 

[GreenDragon]

we got a funky egg last week the shell was all warped. but then we didn't have any other funky ones again. i have oyster shell out for the hens to eat as needed and that seems to be working well for my girls all my eggs have supper strong thick shells it surprises me when i crack them open to cook,.


-edited to add-
welcome to BYC "We all float down here"

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC

Glad you joined us!

 

[drumstick diva]

You've been given some great advice so I'll just say Welcome to the flock.