If you are concerned about parasites, deworming can't hurt. We use Valbazen liquid, purchased at TSC. You can find very helpful information, including dosing in the following link:
Post in thread 'Valbazen Dosage?'
You'll need to weigh your girls. If you have a scale, take your weight without holding the bird, then take it again, wearing the same clothing and weigh your bird and subtract the difference.
Some people have luck weighing their chickens on a kitchen scale. I have tried this and it doesn't work so well for me as they are too squirmy and I want a more accurate weight. Plus I'm holding them as they won't stand still on the scale so that interferes with the result.
@thecatumbrella has given good advice on the Calcium. Typically it's recommended Calcium Citrate with D3. It absorbs quickly and can help especially during contractions. The recommended dosage is 300-600 mg, one tablet a day for 5-7 days. If you have a helper to hold her it would be easier to dose but if not, wrap a towel around the chicken's wings to help calm her and makes it easier to control her. Hold her under one arm like a football and then with the same arm holding her open her beak and with the other hand pop in the tablet. It is a large pill but they can swallow it no problem. They may spit it out, just try again. Ensure her head is level, do not lift it up skyward when placing the vitamin pill in. We have one chicken that spits it out and it takes 3-4 do-overs for me before she finally gives up and swallows it. Hopefully the calcium will be all your girl needs for a boost to get past the soft shelled eggs. I have never used the calcium powder and would hold off putting that in the food. Definitely do not use the powder AND the calcium tablets -- too much.
Cold weather does not impact egg laying, it is the hours of daylight that determines the lay schedule. Some breeds do lay during the winter months once molting is complete. Other breeds take the winter off until days grow longer again.
Soft shelled eggs are no uncommon for new layers or they may have an occasional hiccup and lay a soft shell but then return to normal shelled eggs.
There are many threads here on egg quality and there's a great article in the Articles tab (3rd brown tab in the top banner), check under the Learning Center. There is information on egg quality. I'll look for items I've bookmarked and when I find them I'll post it here.
Happy to hear it's happening less frequently. That's a positive update.
worst case I’ll see if my vet can order. He doesn’t see chickens but has them lol
