Please Help! Soft Egg!

[chickenlife01]

My 1-year-old Delaware hen, Lily, is passing what looks like a soft-shelled. Never experienced this, but have read about it in a magazine... Do I need to help her? Will pulling it out hurt her? What should I do? Is it a soft-shelled egg? Thanks!!!

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

Has she laid good, hard shelled eggs before?
Make sure you supply Oyster Shell Calcium (free access) all the time to the chickens.
I find soft shelled eggs now and then, but they are whole, not empty, not broken.
If eggs are coming out broken, breaking inside her... she can get a serious infection, she may need antibiotics.
I am sure that someone else can advise on exactly what to do....
Best of luck... I hope someone else chimes in for you, with more experience in this particular area.

 

[Eggcessive]

I saw my orpington with the same thing a couple of months ago and she is fine. Chickens will lay shell-less eggs occasionally especially when they are young getting started. Some have a problem and do it a lot, and many times you never see those eggs because they get eaten by the other chickens. Some chickens become internal layers, and apparently need more calcium in their diet than others. Feeding back their crushed egg shells or crushed oystershell in a separate container on the side, with layer feed is good.

 

[chickenlife01]

She had been laying fine up until now. She died. :'( I am heartbroken s-he was my favorite hen always loving. too bad, my poor baby.

 

[Heidisgran]

im so sorry...have you figured out what was happening?

 

[chickenlife01]

I don't know why. I guess the egg ruptured inside her. She had been laying fine.

 

[casportpony]

Probably EYP (egg yolk peritonitis), I lost one just like yours the other day.

-Kathy