Messed-Up Eggs... :/

[ms.cluckling]

Two of my three hens started laying last Friday (exactly one week ago).
I found the first two eggs on Friday morning. One was very tiny, a little larger than a sparrow egg (and these ARE standard sized chickens) and was dark brown, and the other egg could hardly be called an egg--the yolk as there, the white was there, but there was no membrane or shell. She kind of just layed mush...Anyway, I was unsure which hen layed which egg, and also why they were so deformed.
They didn't lay again until Tuesday. It was another perfect dark brown egg--the only problem was the size. Of course, it was MUCH bigger than last time, but still maybe 2/3 the size of a store-bought grade AA white egg.
On Wednesday, another shell-less egg came.
On Thursday, it was another brown one, SLIGHTLY bigger than last time. AND another egg, which we found on the ground underneath the chicken coop (no doubt while wwe let them out in the afternoon). THIS egg is the strangest egg I have ever seen. There was a yolk, a white, there was even a membrane. There was, however, no shell! It was a perfectly shaped egg, but it was mushy because in place of a shell there was only a membrane.
And today--In the morning, I found another egg--but just a yolk! And this afternoon, the chickens were out and I caught one of them in the act. Coco (the hen's name), was just walking, and out popped the egg! She just laid it while walking! This time, there was no shell, just a yolk, a white, and a membrane rolled up off on the side! But at least I know the culprit.
My question is--why are Coco's eggs so messed up?
If it helps, my hens just turned 4 months old yesterday.
Coco is a Cuckoo Marans. She is very big for her age, nearly seven pounds!
The other two (not sure which one is laying) are:
Dot=an EE
Camilla=silver laced cochin/blue cochin mix
All three are standard sized.
There is a rooster with them--does this make a difference (Peeps is a white leghorn roo, nearly 5 months old)
They have all been eating layer pellets for about three weeks now.
Could it be a lack of calcium?
Thank you!

 

[aubreynoramarie]

What are you feeding them? Sounds like not enough calcium. Try feeding them some oyster shell or even egg shells. If you haven't already, switch to flock raiser or layer feed

 

[ms.cluckling]

I'm scared that if I feed them egg shells they will like the taste and start eating their eggs. Whenever Coco lays a really messed up egg, we always have to dive in to stop her from eating it! And yes, they are eating layer pellets.
Where can you find oyster shell? At a feed store?
And, if a lack of calcium, wouldn't the others have problems laying as well? Because the other eggs are fine, just small...
And I read somewhere that you can feed hens crushed red pepper to help them lay. Does this work?
Thanks again!

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Yep they should have oyster shell at the feed store.

As far as the pepper goes, I have heard very good things about ceyenne pepper helping hens lay through winter, but I don't think it is relivent to the quality of the eggs.

Maybe the other hens bodies are different and they don't need as much calcium, but I would definitely try the oyster shell because a mushy egg here and there is normal but that many in a row doesn't seem to be. Idk, worth a shot eh?

 

[ms.cluckling]

yes, definitely worth a shot. Thank you! my main concern was that she might be sick, that's all...
Do you have any ideas about the tiny eggs, though?

 

[Imp]

4 months is still young for laying, might just be working the kinks out of the egg laying equipment. If you feed the shells back, dry them out thoroughly and crush.
The small eggs are called fart or wind eggs.

Imp- I wouldn't worry yet.

 

[ms.cluckling]

thank you! does anyone know about the fact that Coco layed an egg..while walking? is this normal?
sorry--just worried about my girls <3

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

First of all it takes a while for them to work all the kinks out of the laying system till they get it right. They should be getting enough calcium in the layer feed. A little time will take care of it. If after the age of 6 mo. and they are still laying those types of eggs you have a problem. I recycle my egg shells by crushing them and then running them through the blender till they are almost a powder. Mine think its a treat. lol I had the same problems with my pullets and they all worked out. Enjoy your eggs and have fun with your chickens.

 

[ms.cluckling]

thank you!

 

[Strange_Screams]

I have a huge hen that's laying really small eggs too. smaller then what you would see in the store, for sure, but they are slowly getting bigger. And I get random eggs sometimes, no non-shelled eggs that I've found, but I get them with wrinkles sometimes and a couple times I got an egg that only had the first layer of white, before the brown and speckles were put on, it was real rough and thin, looked like ceiling speckle, but the older hen always lays perfect eggs of the same color and speckles. The longer they go, the more consistent they get it seems. I recycle my egg shells in the compost for the tomatoes and give the chickens oyster shell, but they have never touched it, I am in central Texas though and the ground is mostly limestone pebbles.

I've seen my hens accidentally lay one while eating, or running to get in the nest box not quite on time.