Pullets laying soft eggs. How long to work the kinks out?

[ibarbidahl]

I have one hen laying daily. One laying almost every other day, and one that I suspect lays 2 eggs nearly every day. The one I have a problem with would be the one that lays 2 eggs. Of course. The problem wouldn't be when she lays 2 eggs. Obviously when she lays 2 eggs they wouldn't necessarily have time to harden. But, all of her eggs are soft.

I give them all oyster shell in their feed, they are on layer pellets. I recently moved their coop so that they went from a small (7'x3.5') run to a 35'x4.5' run. The coop is still small, but they are not lacking. Lots of sunshine, etc.

The oldest pullet has been laying for nearly 4 weeks, the soft shell layer about 3/3.5 weeks. I know it's 'going to take time' to work itself out... but how much time? Is a month normally long enough for things to work out 6 weeks - 2 months?

I'm going to supplement with calcium in their water this week to see if it helps as well - but meanwhile I know that won't change the fact that one of the birds is laying twice a day some days. That may be a genetic factor that may never change. :-( It's time to figure out who the culprit is.

 

[Vickilynn45]

I just started getting eggs on Monday, but I think I have two chickens laying because the first egg we got was bigger and darker (and in the nest box), and then whoever is laying my soft eggs is laying sometimes two a day, and from the roost. I did find a harder shelled small pink one in the nest box yesterday afternoon so maybe they are working the kinks out now and finally figured out to use the nest box. I'll be interested to hear the answers to this.

 

[Den in Penn]

Laying two eggs a day continuously is very taxing on the calcium supply. I believe they can only take up so much in a day. You could try to help by giving her some vitamin D. Hopefully she settles down and goes to laying one a day. It usually can take six weeks for them to settle into steady rhythm and two months for the eggs to approach full size