Molting Hens laying soft eggs

[Annalyse]

Since there all molting I'm getting 1 or 2 eggs but I'm also getting more soft eggs in the roosts. Is this normal?

 

[aart]

Are they actually dropping feathers?
Most birds stop laying before they start molting.
But, yeah, you can get some funky eggs around molting time.

 

[Annalyse]

Are they actually dropping feathers?
Most birds stop laying before they start molting.
But, yeah, you can get some funky eggs around molting time.

Yes sometimes the roost is full of feathers sometimes it's not. Usually if theres a soft egg theres feathers.

 

[PopoMyers]

Chiming in here with the same issue, finding egg innards in the nesting box and under roost, dirty eggs from whites and yolk smears. I have added 30% game bird food to their 16% layer feed at a ratio of 1:4 to get the 20%protein needed for my molting girls. Not all of them are molting. I am still getting 5+ eggs a day from 11 girls. Could the extra protein and therefore lessened calcium also cause the weak shell or shell less eggs? Should I also supplement with oyster shell for the time being (will they know if they need it, by instinct?) Or will the extra not be good? Please help. First molt season newby.

 

[DobieLover]

Chiming in here with the same issue, finding egg innards in the nesting box and under roost, dirty eggs from whites and yolk smears. I have added 30% game bird food to their 16% layer feed at a ratio of 1:4 to get the 20%protein needed for my molting girls. Not all of them are molting. I am still getting 5+ eggs a day from 11 girls. Could the extra protein and therefore lessened calcium also cause the weak shell or shell less eggs? Should I also supplement with oyster shell for the time being (will they know if they need it, by instinct?) Or will the extra not be good? Please help. First molt season newby.

Supplementing feed with oyster shell on the side is always a good idea.
I never feed layer feed. The molting hens do not need the extra calcium but are forced to eat it during molt when fed layer feed.
I offer a tin of sardines or a half can of tuna several times a week during molt for a boost in animal protein.

 

[PopoMyers]

Supplementing feed with oyster shell on the side is always a good idea.
I never feed layer feed. The molting hens do not need the extra calcium but are forced to eat it during molt when fed layer feed.
I offer a tin of sardines or a half can of tuna several times a week during molt for a boost in animal protein.

Only problem is not all my girls are molting, and some are still laying. Maybe they snuck their molt? 2 of 3 Welsummers, my barnyard mix is done, my black Sex link is starting, the other 6, which are ISA browns and golden comets, don't even look like they are, and one Welsummer too. What do you feed yours?

 

[PopoMyers]

Do some chickens continue laying during a molt, maybe at the beginning, hence the wonky eggs?

 

[Mrs. K]

They are not machines, and molting is a different hormonal time - eggs depend on hormones, and you will get funky eggs. It will straighten out, not to worry about it.

In the beginning, I thought that the feed really did influence the eggs...now I am not so sure. A lot of times, you will return to perfect eggs, even if you do nothing.

 

[PopoMyers]

They are not machines, and molting is a different hormonal time - eggs depend on hormones, and you will get funky eggs. It will straighten out, not to worry about it.

In the beginning, I thought that the feed really did influence the eggs...now I am not so sure. A lot of times, you will return to perfect eggs, even if you do nothing.

Thank you for allaying my concerns. First molting season for me.

 

[PopoMyers]

Oh, my silly girls. So, I mixed crumbles with higher protein with their normal feed. I go out to find they had just about scattered the pellets all over the run floor. Is it bad to not feed them until they clean up their mess of wasted food? I use a tall PVC feeder, so there was quite a bit on the floor.