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question about a problem i found tonight with my hens

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by weezzell5400, Nov 29, 2010.

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  1. Nov 29, 2010 #1
    weezzell5400

    weezzell5400 Out Of The Brooder

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    Nov 14, 2010
    seneca
    ok so here is my situation i go out side to smoke and i check and visit my chickens every time i go out well just a little bit ago i went out to smoke at about 6:30 its been raining and dark about all day just really nasty well i went into the coop and seen them all roosting and thought ok cool well i looked on the ground and seen an egg that looked funny it was not of normal light brown from New Hampshire Red and then about 2 feet from it was another one that was really soft and busted open like she dropped it from the roost well back when i got the chickens one hen was laying on about 9 eggs so we figured that she was in moat and from the other 3 hens we get one egg from each every day so is this normal for my girl coming out of moat or whats going on
     
  3. Nov 29, 2010 #2
    Imp

    Imp All things share the same breath- Chief Seattle

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    My Coop
    I am not sure what you mean by not of normal light brown. Could the hen be a mixed breed. A picture of the hen and egg might help.

    As far as the shellless egg. That can be normal especially in new layers. Here's some info:

    http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

    And laying from the roost. Try putting fake eggs and/or golf balls in the nests. It might influence them to lay in the nests.

    The hen that is coming out of molt, sounds like she is going broody. Trying to hatch eggs. I don't think it is related to molt. They go broody on their own schedule. You can either try to break her broodiness or let her hatch the eggs if you have a rooster and they may be fertile.

    Good luck,

    Imp
     
  5. Nov 29, 2010 #3
    BarkerChickens

    BarkerChickens Microbrewing Chickenologist

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    Soft shells can mean a few different things from a freak oops every so often to low on calcium, etc. If she was sitting on eggs, sounds like a broody hen, not a hen that is molting. If she has been broody and recently stopped, she may be getting back into her lay cycle and laid a soft shelled egg as her body gets back into motion.
     
  7. Nov 29, 2010 #4
    coldwetnoz

    coldwetnoz Out Of The Brooder

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    Apr 22, 2010
    I have a little Serama pullet who lays a soft shell every other day on the ground. Sometimes it busted open and sometimes I get it out and toss it. I've tried everything, even powdered calcium in her feed and it doesn't help. That website you posted the link to didn't help either. None of those reasons apply to my pullet. She was raised by me and given a top quality diet since hatching.

    If it happens again you need to try and get the eggs out before they taste it or you may end up with an egg eating hen. Not good. I hope yours is just temporary.
     

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