Not Thin Shelled...Shell LESS

[Baumshell28]

I have 12 hens who’ve been laying since about mid August. The egg laying is pretty consistent...11eggs a day. I don’t expect 12 daily since I know the laying cycle is usually greater than 24 hours. The other day was the same...kinda...I got 11 eggs in shells and one egg without a shell or membrane holding it together. Just a splash of albumen & yolk on top of a few of the other girls eggs.

I figure one of the hens released & encapsulated her egg like normal & then maybe another yolk & albumen were sent down the chute too soon to be surrounded by shell and maybe it just kinda popped out behind the egg that got encapsulated by shell. Or should I be concerned maybe that I actually had 12 layers yesterday and that one hens body failed to encapsulate the egg in any way, shape, or form?
*Sorry, no pics to show, but it looked exactly how it sounds. There were 3 or 4 eggs in a nest, then it looked like someone cracked an egg on top of them and ran away with the shell, lol!*

 

[chickenlittle21]

What are you feeding them?

 

[aart]

I got 11 eggs in shells and one egg without a shell or membrane holding it together. Just a splash of albumen & yolk on top of a few of the other girls eggs.

Could have been a softie and most of it was eaten.
Sometimes a bird will lay 2 in a day, the second is usually not shelled.

 

[Baumshell28]

I feed them Purina Layena crumbles. I mix in dried, chopped oregano. They also have a feed bowl mixed half full of poultry grit & half full of the crushed oyster shell free choice 24/7.

 

[aart]

I mix in dried, chopped oregano.

Save the herbs for when you cook them

They also have a feed bowl mixed half full of poultry grit & half full of the crushed oyster shell free choice 24/7.

The shell and grit is mixed together?

 

[Baumshell28]

Yes...and no. One side of the bowl (large, heavy rubber-ish farm feed bowl) is purple grit, the other is white oyster shell. Almost looks like an attempt at filling the bowl in a “pretty” way, lol!

 

[aart]

One side of the bowl (large, heavy rubber-ish farm feed bowl) is purple grit, the other is white oyster shell.

Does the bowl have a divider?
Are they eating the OS?

 

[Baumshell28]

Does the bowl have a divider?
Nope
Are they eating the OS?
Possibly.....?

Uh-oh @aart, are you seeing problems or issues here?

 

[rayrose]

Does the bowl have a divider?
Nope
Are they eating the OS?
Possibly.....?

Uh-oh @aart, are you seeing problems or issues here?

I have a similar set up with a trough. One end is OS, while the other end is grit, with no divider. They know the difference.

 

[aart]

Uh-oh @aart, are you seeing problems or issues here?

Just looking at why you have soft eggs.
Common with new layers but should have cleared up within a bout a month or so.
Lack of calcium may be the problem, so they need to be eating some OS along with the layer feed(sans herbs).
Any other treats/foods?
Layer feed is meant to be the sole ration.
Keeping the OS in a separate feeder allows you to tell if they are eating it as you would see it disturbed and the level going down.
Sometimes pullets don't 'get' eating the OS so you can sprinkle some around on the ground or a few pieces on top of feed trough so they encounter it.