Leathery chicken egg-is that normal?

[jadeflower999]

Hello!
Yesterday morning I found a very large broken egg in my coop and the shell was super soft/leathery, like a turtle egg. I feed my hens a balanced organic crumble, they eat grass/bugs and I give them oyster shell, plus kitchen scraps and scratch occasionally. Is this normal to have an egg like that? This is the only one so far so I'm not to panicked yet, but just thought I'd see what you all had to say I was on vacation for almost 2 weeks and during that time they did not get the extra oyster shell, maybe that's what happened? I have a RIR and a Wyandotte. I've had chickens most of my life and never saw a leathery egg like that before.
Thanks everyone!

 

[5 spoiled hens]

I did a look-up on this very subject and found what is referred to as a "Rubber" egg. My husband said they always called them "Paper" eggs when he was growing up. I have a Barred Rock that will be 1 year old on April 4 that has yet to lay a normal egg. She has only layed one rubber egg a week now the for last 4 weeks. We were hoping her body was getting used to laying, but so far - not a real egg yet - darn. Anyway when I looked this subject up most people said there is no explanation why, but that chickens just lay one every once in a while. I think my chicken is just a "special" chicken. And NO - not a soup chicken - lol

 

[Dust Bunny]

like this? this is a shell less egg, the hen i had that laid these had to be culled, i believe she had egg yolk peritonitis that went septic

you may want to research that, i don't know if your bird is like that, i hope not, but its something to look at, i gotta go to bed, sorry i cant be more help

 

[jadeflower999]

Thank you for your replies. I'm not sure if it was my RIR or Wyandotte that layed it but they both seem healthy and active. So far no more rubbery eggs. I am going to keep a close eye on them.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

My chickens are only 9 months old but I've only gotten those "rubber" eggs from the girls in the very initial attempts at egg-laying. It's kind of like a practice egg!
Here's a picture of the first egg I ever got out of my girls and it was "rubber":