No Eggs or Only Soft Shell

[RenoHuskerDu]

How old are the hens? Can be common in older girls

Just less than a year old now.

 

[Amy V]

Just less than a year old now.

See @aart's recommendation in post #11 and #13. That's what I'm trying for the second day now. First day with no treats and water (yesterday) got two out of five eggs. Same result today, but one soft-shell. I'll keep going with just the fresh water and layer feed only for now.

 

[Amy V]

So, I bought mine as Barred Rock but then I saw the Plymouth and there was no difference between them. It gets confusing! My 10 Barred Rocks were my first. Along with a Golden Wyandotte Rooster, two sliver duckwinged OEGBs and then Mr.Rooster is a Golden Sebright-a pain in my butt he is! I lost all but four Of my Barred Rocks & Mr.Rooster in my first flock. Now I've 32 chickens and 9 duck and two turkeys! I love them all! Well...maybe not Mr.Rooster he really got me today!

You have quite the crowd. I bet it's fun to watch all of them interact. And a lot of work! My rooster is a pain in the a$$ right now too. I'm hoping he'll calm down as Spring ends. He even tries to attack me through a sliding glass door!

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

See @aart's recommendation in post #11 and #13. That's what I'm trying for the second day now. First day with no treats and water (yesterday) got two out of five eggs. Same result today, but one soft-shell. I'll keep going with just the fresh water and layer feed only for now.

We're already doing that accidentally like a martyr. ACV ran out a few weeks ago and I topped the big nipple fount up with water twice since. We don't do electrolytes, the chickens run around and poop enough already. Probiotics for chickens...wut? Is Alex Jones here?

Been feeding them Egg Maker layer pellets with a little H&H layer crumble from time to time. The only thing that's changed is that the weather is a bit warmer. But it's not Texas hot yet. Lots of rain to cool things down every few days recently. They free range on several acres all day long, happy as clams, is it were. Our Heelers protect them from big birds.

Still scratchin' my head trying to figure why so many soft eggs the last few days. We did have one go broody but we "corrected" her as Jack Nicholson said in The Shining. She's better now. And when she was being corrected, we got soft shell eggs, so it wasn't her.

Now here's the *CEO's theory: She says they are bred to lay a lot of eggs, so they lay too often and the shell isn't ready. But under that theory we would have been getting soft shelled eggs since day one. But in fact until recently, it was rare.

*Chicken Executive Officer, my wife

 

[aart]

We don't do electrolytes, the chickens run around and poop enough already.

They don't make chicken poop more,
just drinking a lot of water can do that tho-goes right thru them.
Electrolytes help them balance the moisture in their bodies,
I think potassium is the key ingredient.
I use them in hot weather and very cold weather(where dehydration can also be an issue).

 

[Criticalicious]

If the soft shells are the result of stress, it will correct itself in a week or two. I recently moved my flock to a new bigger coop which caused them some stress. I had 3 or 4 soft shells in a row, despite free feeding oyster shell 24/7. I think I know who it was, but I am not sure. Now that they've acclimated to their new coop, they are laying normal eggs again. One day was particular weird - there was a normal egg in the nest beside a raw egg without a shell. I thought for sure someone had developed yolk infection and went around checking all the fluffy butts for yellow runs.... Turns out, someone had swiped the soft shell out of the nest to eat it, and left the whole raw egg for me to clean up. Thankfully nobody's developed a taste for raw eggs yet.

 

[Amy V]

If the soft shells are the result of stress, it will correct itself in a week or two. I recently moved my flock to a new bigger coop which caused them some stress. I had 3 or 4 soft shells in a row, despite free feeding oyster shell 24/7. I think I know who it was, but I am not sure. Now that they've acclimated to their new coop, they are laying normal eggs again. One day was particular weird - there was a normal egg in the nest beside a raw egg without a shell. I thought for sure someone had developed yolk infection and went around checking all the fluffy butts for yellow runs.... Turns out, someone had swiped the soft shell out of the nest to eat it, and left the whole raw egg for me to clean up. Thankfully nobody's developed a taste for raw eggs yet.

Thanks @Criticalicious. I hope you're right. I like the eggs, but I'm more worried about their health. And since I'm building another coop (bigger) now, that means I'll know what it is if they stop laying when I move them. Fingers crossed, not everyone's back to laying eggs on day 5 of only fresh water and layer feed.

 

[Amy V]

Update at 2.5 weeks: still getting either no eggs or soft shells (have had maybe 4 good eggs in 17 days,) but the last two one of my gold sex link hens has now laid fairy eggs for two days in a row. Fresh water only (and plenty) and only layer 16% protein feed, in addition to their 12 plus hours of free ranging. @aart what's next? Or have I not waited long enough?

 

[aart]

in addition to their 12 plus hours of free ranging. @aart what's next?

I'd confine them 24/7 for a week...and do an exam

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

Ours got better.