Partial soft shell egg... Why?

[kylen2007]

One of my girls laid a partial hard/soft shell egg late today. It was sometime between 630-9. They normally are done laying by 5ish. I know these things happen but I wanted to make sure its not abnormal. It bAsed on the color of the hard part it was one of my EE. I recently allowed my broilers to go in the run bc they were getting too big for our chicken jail. All my chickens have been eating their feed instead of their own. They are on a broiler meat crumble feed while my layong flock gets 1:2 ration of layer:meat crumbles. I have 5 hens laying (that im aware of) for a month now and this is the first one like this. I have had several double Yolkers. Are they needing more calcium? Should I give the broilers the same feeds as they layer flock? I sont want to affect their growth but i surely dont want soft shell eggs either. What do you suggest?

 

[kylen2007]

Here is the egg. Its only soft in the one spot.

 

[aart]

Not unusual to see this the first month or so of laying.

Not sure who is eating who's feed...but I'd provide a separate container of oyster shell for the layers.

You're upping the protein(not bad if you providing other 'treats') and reducing the calcium by mixing 1:2 ration of layer:meat crumbles for the layers.

How long until the broilers are harvested?
Adding the broilers to the layers flock could have caused some stress....which can result in some funky eggs.
The egg daily laying cycle can shift a bit normally, more if there's a stressfull event(s).

 

[kylen2007]

We plan on processing the broilers end of August-ish. Depends how they are growing. We have a large family so I am hoping to get the to 5 lbs when its all said and done. We shall see. They get treats a few times a day. Plus I let them free range in the evenings for a couple hours. I have a couple girls who know how to get in and out of the run so they range on and off all day.
We have a chicken jail we built which is where the broilers have been ever since they were ready to leave the heat lamp. Been about 3 weeks now. We just started letting them out in the run 5 days ago. No one seems to mind each other.
Curious where do you put the oyster shells at? In the run or in the coop. Do i just out 'em in a bowl?

 

[aart]

We plan on processing the broilers end of August-ish. Depends how they are growing. We have a large family so I am hoping to get the to 5 lbs when its all said and done. We shall see. They get treats a few times a day. Plus I let them free range in the evenings for a couple hours. I have a couple girls who know how to get in and out of the run so they range on and off all day.
We have a chicken jail we built which is where the broilers have been ever since they were ready to leave the heat lamp. Been about 3 weeks now. We just started letting them out in the run 5 days ago. No one seems to mind each other.
Curious where do you put the oyster shells at? In the run or in the coop. Do i just out 'em in a bowl?

I feed and water in the coop so the shells are there too.....have a jar feeder that I made, used to use a rabbit feeder with the mesh on the bottom blocked off.
I mix crushed egg shells with the oyster shells.

 

[kylen2007]

My waterers are outside. I use nipples and the drip and was making a mess in the coop. I have a heated waterer for winter that i guess ill figure out how to handle the inside mess when the time comes. Feeders are inside though. Will they eat the shells if they need it and not of they dont?

 

[aart]

My waterers are outside. I use nipples and the drip and was making a mess in the coop. I have a heated waterer for winter that i guess ill figure out how to handle the inside mess when the time comes. Feeders are inside though. Will they eat the shells if they need it and not of they dont?

I use horizontal nipples, much less dripping and only when the birds drink.

Yes, they should eat the shells when they need them and leave them alone if they don't need them.....but with live animals there are no guarantees on what they will do.

 

[kylen2007]

Do you have a heated coop or how do you keep water from freezing?

 

[aart]

Do you have a heated coop or how do you keep water from freezing?

I heat the water, not the coop.
Worked great after some trial and error, I just carry out a gallon jug of warm water to top it off each day.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/aarts-heated-waterer-with-horizontal-nipples

 

[kylen2007]

Love it! I have barrels that catch rain water from the guters on my coop so I dont have to lug water out there. It has a spicket. On the bottom. I have no clue how I can keep
It from freezing up. I may have to suck it up and lug water out there during cold months.