Is this what I think it is?

[65browneyes]

I have a Black Sex Link who I suspect to be the layer of the "brittle" eggs I've been finding of late. The eggs are fully formed, have a 'normal' shell, but I think she's stepping on and breaking them as she leaves the nest. I do keep oyster shell out. I have 3 of these hens, and the shells of their eggs have always been thinner/weaker than the others.

I went down to check on everybody just a short time ago, and found this on the 'boardwalk' in front of the nest boxes.

The outside of it appears to be an immature shell, and the inside looks similar to the pictures I've seen of immature eggs. It's soft and moist.

If this is an example of an immature egg, what are the causes?

Thanks for giving this some thought.

 

[Southern28Chick]

That looks like an alien egg!

 

[justusnak]

Wow, I have NO clue! I hope someone with an idea on that tell ya soon! Now I want to know!

 

[chickenwoods]

I had a sexlink lay an egg like that about a week and a half ago! I was going to collect the eggs after i fed them,when i went back to the eggs a hen had steped on it and cracked it,i went to pick it up and the shell was like brittle paper.
I do not know what caused it, i just thought it was a calcium difficientcy,??:|

 

[lurky]

OMG......I am glad i dont have sex-links.

 

[RioLindoAz]

they need much more calcium or they are just beginers in laying

 

[BeckyLa]

The rooster did it!!!

Yep, it was the roo......

 

[akcskye]

I would agree on the more calcium statement.

Don't feed these shells back to them, they're obviously not much in the way of calcium, anyway.

I'd go buy some eggs (unless you have others laying proper eggs) and break them and dry them out and feed them back to them along with the oyster shell.

Now, don't try this unless you hear confirmation of someone doing this and it being safe...but someone told me you can crush TUMS in their feed for extra calcium? Is that correct?