Hen laying multiple fairy eggs

[Jax-bean]

Please could someone help me make sense of this:

My hens have just started laying again about a month or two ago. Two out of three are laying big beautiful eggs with massive yokes. The other hen has only laid 3 fairy eggs so far. I'm not sure who it is as I am out during the day.

Today I went out to feed them greens and that's when I noticed the 4th fairy egg, just lying in a random corner. My one hen, Daffodil, didn't come for greens and hid round the corner, feathers puffed. I went to pick her up to see what was wrong and as I held her she struggled a bit causing, what I would call the 5th fairy egg, to get pushed out, falling to the floor. Not only is it small but the shell is soft. As soon as I put her down she returned to herself and went to eat the left over greens.

Does anyone know of the most likely cause?

I've read of random fairy eggs happening but not so many consecutive ones.

.

 

[Jax-bean]

Any one?

 

[nayeli]

Soft shell is caused by a calcium deficiency. Give her cuttlebone (cheap and found at petco etc for birds) oyster shell, grind up and give them back their eggshells etc!

 

[Gryphon]

Unfortunately it could also be genetic, which is what I suspect is the problem with my Marans that has laid two fairy eggs. None of my other girls have ever laid a small egg like that, and their shells are super strong. The Marans, when laying well, does lay jumbo eggs, but then will suddenly lay a tiny egg with a super thin shell. I've also noticed her eggs go bad more often than any of the other girls too, and tends to have more blood spots too. Since they all get the same feed, and she's in the middle of the pecking order (so not much stress) I can only assume that the problem is her. :/

Hope you have better luck with your girl than I have so far with mine. Oh, is yours a pullet still? Mine is, and I'm hoping that after her molt she settles down and lays normally.

 

[MotherOfChkns]

Did you switch them to layer feed when they started laying? Chick feed doesn't have the calcium.

 

[aart]

Please could someone help me make sense of this:

My hens have just started laying again about a month or two ago. Two out of three are laying big beautiful eggs with massive yokes. The other hen has only laid 3 fairy eggs so far. I'm not sure who it is as I am out during the day.

Today I went out to feed them greens and that's when I noticed the 4th fairy egg, just lying in a random corner. My one hen, Daffodil, didn't come for greens and hid round the corner, feathers puffed. I went to pick her up to see what was wrong and as I held her she struggled a bit causing, what I would call the 5th fairy egg, to get pushed out, falling to the floor. Not only is it small but the shell is soft. As soon as I put her down she returned to herself and went to eat the left over greens.

Does anyone know of the most likely cause?

I've read of random fairy eggs happening but not so many consecutive ones.

.

Laying again....how old are they??
What all are you feeding them?
Do they get a balanced chicken feed... with how much protein?
Do they have calcium available at all times?

I like to feed an 'all flock' 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat. I have calcium available at all times for the layers, oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container. The higher protein crumble offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer.

 

[Jax-bean]

They are two years old and they all get a mixture of crushed corn (we call it chick-chick in SA) combined with layer pellets.
I also mix in some rolled oats.Then every second day or so throw some de-shelled sunflower seeds for them to hunt for.
I give them crushed egg shell ever so often and i recently got hold of cuttle shell which they've started getting.

They get greens daily.
They all finished their first proper moult about 3 months ago.
I just wish I knew for sure which one is laying these small eggs?
Its a toss up between two of them because I've only see one of them laying in action and it was a perfect egg.

 

[Jax-bean]

anyone else?

I have not been getting any eggs from 2 of my hens since the soft shell incident? Not even mini eggs.
Only my one hen is laying now

 

[NotableNancy]

At 2 years old they could just not be laying due to less daylight. My oldest girls are a bit less than 2 yrs old and a few have stopped completely and the rest just lay a few times a week. It's completely normal. My RIR molted, started laying again then stopped again a week or 2 ago.

Just make sure to give them the layer feed, calcium on the side so they have it if they need it and maybe not so much corn.
Whoever is laying the soft shelled egg either has an internal laying issue which you really can't do anything about or it's just the season and you have to wait it out. As long as they are acting completely normal, eating/foraging etc I wouldn't worry.
Good luck to you!

 

[aart]

anyone else?

I have not been getting any eggs from 2 of my hens since the soft shell incident? Not even mini eggs.
Only my one hen is laying now

Jax-bean.....I think you are just coming into spring and daylight is increasing?? Hopefully they kick into their spring laying soon.
I'd make sure they are getting at least 18% protein...corn is low protein.

At 2 years old they could just not be laying due to less daylight. My oldest girls are a bit less than 2 yrs old and a few have stopped completely and the rest just lay a few times a week. It's completely normal. My RIR molted, started laying again then stopped again a week or 2 ago.

Just make sure to give them the layer feed, calcium on the side so they have it if they need it and maybe not so much corn.
Whoever is laying the soft shelled egg either has an internal laying issue which you really can't do anything about or it's just the season and you have to wait it out. As long as they are acting completely normal, eating/foraging etc I wouldn't worry.
Good luck to you!