Laying eggs

[mueri07]

So here we go, I have two hens who are same age and one last week starting laying she is a buff orphington, her eggs have been solid no problems. her counter part is a black sex link and she laid two last night one from the roost she sleeps on and the other on the ladder up to their nests. both eggs either had no shell or where so soft . Any ideas suggestions on whey she didn't get in her box and lay and why they are not solid like the other hens eggs?? super excited just want to make sure we are doing all we can to promote healthy eggs(her diet and such).

Thanks BYC!!

 

[rIrs roost]

New layers sometimes lay soft shell eggs to start. But if you didn't have any eggs in the coop last night and had to two this morning, sounds like both of your hens are laying now.

 

[mueri07]

well the buff she has been laying all week, and her eggs have been good. It was just last night that we woke up to two eggs that were very soft and mushy. We also are integrating a silkie into the flock of 2 so I am sure there is some stress involved

 

[Chickenlover2017]

If you have soft shells crush up normal shells really well and mix them in with the chickens food congrats on the first egg btw

 

[MommaHen2Many]

Congratulations on getting eggs! This is a great article on different things that cause problems with eggs....soft shells, really no-shell, is #10, its a very informative read. One thing it lists is that the chicken is just young and it happens. Take a look here
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[mueri07]

have been rushing up shells slipping them into their food, m hoping nothing is wrong with my kit kat! will keep an eye on her

 

[aart]

Not unusual for newly laying birds to drop softies where ever, they are harder to 'feel and control' coming down the pike, also common for there to be 2.
It doesn't have to do with how much calcium you are feeding.
Can be more common with high production breeds like sexlinks.

Can also take them some time to use the nests.

What and how exactly are you feeding?

 

[mueri07]

We feed them some scratch, and now pellets. They get veggies as well as fruits as treats and they range the yard throughout the day. Just recently we have been giving them a meal worm mix as well as egg shells and oyster shells. They eat well and they look like healthy birds just didn't know if this there is something we should change in their diet?!!?!?!?!?

 

[lazy gardener]

By the wording of your last post, I wonder if their diet is part of the issue. Pellets should be the biggest part of their diet. I would totally eliminate the scratch, unless you are using a tiny bit to train them to come when called. And I agree with PP: new layers can have issues with rubber eggs, no matter what their diet. It should all work out.

 

[SpaghettiJo]

continue giving them calcium supplements in their food. it is very important when they are laying - in forming the new egg shells and helping their muscles contract (helping with the actual egg laying)
heres a great website or two:
http://www.citygirlchickens.com/calcium_for_chickens.html
http://articles.extension.org/pages/68178/basic-poultry-nutrition