Hard shell eggs laid with a single soft spot

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MissCindy

MissCindy

In the Brooder
5 Years
Jul 24, 2014
33
4
26
Franklinville, New Jersey, USA
My Coop
My Coop
Hello everyone! I've got a bit of an oddity going on over here... it seems that one of my girls keeps laying these eggs that have a soft spot on them. The egg seems to be fairly normal in every way other than a spot that maybe the size of a dime at most, that is so thin-shelled that it will fall in on itself. The membrane is never broken, the eggs haven't been pecked at... they're just super, super thin, in one spot only!

Has anyone ever seen anything like this? My web searching didn't really turn up much.







 
I actually did find that article in my searching, thank you! I didn't find any examples that were quite like what my chicken (I assume it's the same one every day) has been laying.

I imagine nutrition could certainly be a cause, and as an added measure we just switched back to layer crumbles. We went through two bags of pellet feed, and we've been getting shells that are a bit thinner, even though we've been supplementing with oyster shell. Technically none of that should matter, though... it's the same brand feed with the same ingredients, plus the added oyster shell, which they didn't get before. A friend gave us a bag, so we're using it. I just don't understand the otherwise hard shell, with the one soft spot. It's as thin as paper over that one spot. Now today I didn't get an actual soft spot, but you could see where it would normally be.

I'm wondering if the birds are stressed, honestly. A few months back we added 4 new adults, and even though they are all getting along well, I wonder if they may mind sharing perch space at night. The coop is big enough for them, with enough nest boxes, but just big enough. They do free range all day in about a quarter acre of fenced yard, so they're not stuck in a small run.

I only wonder about them being stressed because of a few other oddball eggs we've gotten... eggs with colored patches from them touching in the egg shooter, and oddly shaped eggs, plus quite a few dropped from the roost at the end of the day. But then we've had some paper-shelled eggs, too! Not quite shell-less, but so thin shelled that they split open in the nest. We even had 3 fairy eggs in the past 2 months!

I'm just not sure what's going on, and haven't seen anything quite like these eggs online anywhere.
 
Last edited:
MissCindy said:
I actually did find that article in my searching, thank you! I didn't find any examples that were quite like what my chicken (I assume it's the same one every day) has been laying.

I imagine nutrition could certainly be a cause, and as an added measure we just switched back to layer crumbles. We went through two bags of pellet feed, and we've been getting shells that are a bit thinner, even though we've been supplementing with oyster shell. Technically none of that should matter, though... it's the same brand feed with the same ingredients, plus the added oyster shell, which they didn't get before. A friend gave us a bag, so we're using it. I just don't understand the otherwise hard shell, with the one soft spot. It's as thin as paper over that one spot. Now today I didn't get an actual soft spot, but you could see where it would normally be.

I'm wondering if the birds are stressed, honestly. A few months back we added 4 new adults, and even though they are all getting along well, I wonder if they may mind sharing perch space at night. The coop is big enough for them, with enough nest boxes, but just big enough. They do free range all day in about a quarter acre of fenced yard, so they're not stuck in a small run.

I only wonder about them being stressed because of a few other oddball eggs we've gotten... eggs with colored patches from them touching in the egg shooter, and oddly shaped eggs, plus quite a few dropped from the roost at the end of the day. But then we've had some paper-shelled eggs, too! Not quite shell-less, but so thin shelled that they split open in the nest. We even had 3 fairy eggs in the past 2 months!

I'm just not sure what's going on, and haven't seen anything quite like these eggs online anywhere.
Click to expand...
Not sure, but if you feed any treats, cut them out of their diet and see if that's helps.
 
If it's only one bird that laying defective eggs, it's the bird and not the diet.
Some just have wonky equipment or their bodies are not taking up nutrition effectively.
I have had a few of those, they get invited to 'dinner'.
 
Did you ever figure out the reason for the eggs to have the soft spots like these photos at the beginning of the thread? I have a hen doing the same thing and I've been trying to figure it out. It's now to the point when I go to get the egg it's already broken in the nesting box.

I've got 6 buff Orpington hens, 4 where grouped originally and might as well be the same chicken. Sisters through and through. If one poops, the other 3 poop, I swear. One of the 4 went broody a few weeks back and we just recently broke her with the help of a cage for 2 days. Her 3 closest sisters, of course, did not lay eggs during this drama and none of them have started back again except 1, Sweetie. And she's making this same kind of egg with a soft spot. :( She actually started this odd soft spot egg right before her sister went broody. Now it's back but even with a softer spot. :( :(

I'm thinking this is all chicken stress and we'll be back in eggs soon. The 2 little girls that we added last are great. They lay their eggs every other day on schedule.
 
FlockParty said:
Did you ever figure out the reason for the eggs to have the soft spots like these photos at the beginning of the thread? I have a hen doing the same thing and I've been trying to figure it out. It's now to the point when I go to get the egg it's already broken in the nesting box.

I've got 6 buff Orpington hens, 4 where grouped originally and might as well be the same chicken. Sisters through and through. If one poops, the other 3 poop, I swear. One of the 4 went broody a few weeks back and we just recently broke her with the help of a cage for 2 days. Her 3 closest sisters, of course, did not lay eggs during this drama and none of them have started back again except 1, Sweetie. And she's making this same kind of egg with a soft spot. :( She actually started this odd soft spot egg right before her sister went broody. Now it's back but even with a softer spot. :( :(

I'm thinking this is all chicken stress and we'll be back in eggs soon. The 2 little girls that we added last are great. They lay their eggs every other day on schedule.
Click to expand...

Hi, One of my hen was laying eggs with soft spot but eventually it stopped. Now all her eggs are nice and hard. Do not know the reason though. Although it was during the time when she just started to lay eggs, not sure if there is any connection between soft shell and beginner layers.
 
Shoptopodi said:
Hi, One of my hen was laying eggs with soft spot but eventually it stopped. Now all her eggs are nice and hard. Do not know the reason though. Although it was during the time when she just started to lay eggs, not sure if there is any connection between soft shell and beginner layers.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I'm keeping my hopes up. :fl :)
 

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