New layer? Soft shell egg?

[RobotChicken]

Ok, so my black australorp has been laying an egg a day for over a week, one of my barred rocks has been laying (I was assuming the more mature of the two I have), and just this past friday both my brown leghorns started laying.

So yesterday I got this very soft shell egg.

Now all my other eggs have always been hardshelled and very strong. Is it likely that this egg is the first egg from my last non layer, or is it possible that one of my previously well formed layers laid a bad egg?

 

[BuckeyeDave]

Feed them oyster shells, you can pick them up at almost any feed store, put it in a small can in the corner of the coop. They will consume as needed, 25 lbs has lasted me for more than a year.

 

[Kate76]

I got these eggs on and off for the 1st couple of weeks of laying- its like their system is getting used to laying and sometimes it gets it wrong- soft shell- double yolk- unusual size- its all normal for young hens.

 

[Mahonri]

Great thing about those eggs is all you need is a pair of scissors to open them and put them in the frying pan.

 

[ghillie]

My hens were doing the same when they first started to lay. I was told to give them a little cod liver oil. I dipped little pieces of bread in the oil to get them to take it. This was supposed to help them get into sync? Since I gave them a little cod liver oil I have not seen another egg like that....

 

[crazyhen]

Sometimes the hens will not eat the oyster shells. I put a handfull in with their layer feed and mix it up. It is sort of powdery so it sticks to the feed. They get their oyster shell. Mine are just laying now for two weeks and the shells are very..... hard. But I do get different sizes. Wow!Yesterday really threw me. I went down as usual to get my two pullet eggs. I gathered them and came to the house( I always get the two smallest because I have a large nest egg that is ceramic) . When I started to put them up, Yikes!! I had the nest egg. The other egg was like an extra large egg. My first one of those. I have two Brahma mix hens. One does lay large eggs. I am thinking a brahma, orp mix because her legs are a whitish pinkish color. The egg was a double yolker. Enjoy your new layers. jean

 

[RobotChicken]

I should also say, they have been on layer mash since my first egg and have access to oster shell. Is it more likely that I have a first time layer with a soft shell, or one of my already new layers whohas had very strong eggs has now laid a soft shelled?

 

[Backyardbuckbucks]

I have one calcium deficient Golden Comet. When she lays an egg with a soft shell, I give her a tablespoon of plain yogurt or buttermilk- something with a high RDA of calcium. The next day the eggs are just fine. When I see that her eggs are losing color, I give her some more. Her hen friend loves the yogurt, too!

 

[crazyhen]

I answered earlier but now have something more to add. My two Brahma were new layers and they had hard shells like crazy then it warmed up and i cut their night light I use to keep the water from freezing off for 4 nights. Mercy, three days of soft shell flops. Needless to say the light went back on. 2 days now and beautiful eggs again. I have never heard that linked to egg shell hardness before. Has anyone else noticed it? Jean