Just one soft/broken shell egg

[Ceakmama]

Last night, I noticed a yolk on the coop floor. It barely had a shell at all, just a floppy layer that looked like it was supposed to be a shell. All my other eggs have been solid, so this was a surprise. I have 5 pullets and I know at least 4 of them have been laying. They're about 20 weeks old. I get 2-3 eggs per day at this point. I've been giving them layer feed and they don't free range. I do give them veggie scraps to snack on though. Is it normal to get a soft/no shell egg randomly? Or for new layers? I put some oyster shells out today in a separate bowl to see if they need more calcium.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Yes, normal for some new layers.
Do limit treats like veggies to what they can finish in 20 minutes daily.
I give treats mid-morning a few hours after I let them out of the coop so they fill up on feed first.
GC

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes it's normal to have glitchy eggs once in a while, and especially from new layers.

 

[Ceakmama]

Thanks!!

 

[Katanahamon]

Last night, I noticed a yolk on the coop floor. It barely had a shell at all, just a floppy layer that looked like it was supposed to be a shell. All my other eggs have been solid, so this was a surprise. I have 5 pullets and I know at least 4 of them have been laying. They're about 20 weeks old. I get 2-3 eggs per day at this point. I've been giving them layer feed and they don't free range. I do give them veggie scraps to snack on though. Is it normal to get a soft/no shell egg randomly? Or for new layers? I put some oyster shells out today in a separate bowl to see if they need more calcium.

If you want other than oyster shell, there are alternatives, if they need a choice..

 

[Ceakmama]

So it's not a soft shell, it's a pullet eating the eggs! My nest boxes are built in, so I the eggs are in sight until I get out there and collect them. I've been checking throughout the day, since I have some mid day layers. One of my pullets is eating an egg almost daily.

 

[Ceakmama]

And a couple are laying outside of the nest boxes suddenly. It's been really rainy, so maybe that's changing their preferences.

 

[GC-Raptor]

One of my pullets is eating an egg almost daily.

One of my 7 Barred Rocks in my second flock started eating 2 to 3 hard shelled eggs in nests weekly for about a month.
I caught her in the act. I lifted the cover on my external nests and seen her peck an egg inside nest.
She was runt of the litter and would stay inside coop most of the day while her sisters were outside.
I suspected it was her. I keep a ceramic egg in each nest.
I keep feed and water inside coops so she wasn't starving.
Egg eating can spread throughout the flock, so I culled her on the weekend and the egg eating stopped.
GC

 

[Ceakmama]

One of my 7 Barred Rocks in my second flock started eating 2 to 3 hard shelled eggs in nests weekly for about a month.
I caught her in the act. I lifted the cover on my external nests and seen her peck an egg inside nest.
She was runt of the litter and would stay inside coop most of the day while her sisters were outside.
I suspected it was her. I keep a ceramic egg in each nest.
I keep feed and water inside coops so she wasn't starving.
Egg eating can spread throughout the flock, so I culled her on the weekend and the egg eating stopped.
GC

I put golf balls in each box, so hopefully that'll help. I have an idea which one is doing it, but I'm not 100% sure. I'll have to keep a close eye. Hopefully she stops and I don't have to cull!

 

[soccrmum]

One of my hens has been laying very big hard shell eggs since she layed her first egg in June. But as of about 4 days now she is laying very soft eggs. The shell is very soft and floppy. She has also layed one in the evening and then one again in the morning. Just within the 12 hour range. I am getting concerned about this. I have given them free access to calcium carbonate. What should I do or can someone tell me what is wrong?