Resumed laying after one month break- soft egg- should I worry?

[Gargoyle]

We got the three hens around November, and we think they were all 5 months old; Goldie started laying first, followed by the other two. They were all steady at around 5 eggs per week; Goldies eggs were larger than the other two girls eggs. Goldie laid eggs on Jan 2nd, 3rd and 4th, and then came to a screeching halt. On the 6th we did get one egg that I'm pretty sure was hers, whiter than usual with some calcium deposits on it. The other two have continued laying at least five eggs a week. We were thinking maybe she is older and not a pullet, and that was why she wasn't laying in the winter.

For a month she didn't lay a single egg until today, although she sometimes sits in her nest. Today she was in her nest for a while, and then I found this soft egg. (next to an egg from today from one of our others). Note the straw and stuff stuck to the egg is just from the bedding in the nest.

She is happy, active, good appetite, runs around and all three socialize very well with each other and with our rooster. Nothing abnormal about her other than this. She definitely eats as well as the other two.

I know this is common when they first start laying, or if they are calcium deficient, but she laid steadily from late November to early January. Is it normal, or is it anything to be concerned about?

 

[Den in Penn]

As I'm sure you know, odd eggs happen. Wait and see what the next egg/s are like before worrying. You didn't say what their breeds are, and didn't ask an opinion on their age, but I'd lean with you that she and maybe the others weren't pullets when you got them.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Spring is approaching quickly now. Wait and see. You'll have your answers soon. March is a prime egg laying month. She may well pick right up and be fine.

I don't judge a bird's laying quality in January. But, I sure as shootin' judge them during March-April.

 

[Gargoyle]

As I'm sure you know, odd eggs happen. Wait and see what the next egg/s are like before worrying. You didn't say what their breeds are, and didn't ask an opinion on their age, but I'd lean with you that she and maybe the others weren't pullets when you got them.

They're Columbian Wyandottes; we got them in November, and thought they were all from the young batch hatched around May or June, but now we think this one could have been older. The farm where we got them has a flock of 60 or 80 Columbian Wyandottes of mixed ages, we were trying to select young'uns.

 

[Den in Penn]

I can see it in my mind trying to catch three young birds in a flock of look a likes. I think that one. Which one? The one by the feeder, Oh wait she moved. Still they seem to have caught at least two youngins.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I can see it in my mind trying to catch three young birds in a flock of look a likes. I think that one. Which one? The one by the feeder, Oh wait she moved. Still they seem to have caught at least two youngins.

Exactly.

 

[Gargoyle]

I can see it in my mind trying to catch three young birds in a flock of look a likes. I think that one. Which one? The one by the feeder, Oh wait she moved. Still they seem to have caught at least two youngins.

You must have been there watching us!!!!

 

[Den in Penn]

Could say I've been there and done that a couple a few times trying to catch one that needed to be caught on the farm growing up.

 

[Gargoyle]

She didn't lay anything today, but her appetite is very healthy, and I made sure she ate some egg shells to keep her calcium up.

 

[Gargoyle]

Followup, she just resumed laying today. The soft egg was on Feb. 4; today is Feb 8 and she just laid her first since Jan. 4th. Her eggs were always bigger/longer than the other two girls eggs, and they often had flat spots on the side as if they were squeezed out. This one is like that, but even longer than any previous ones that I can recall. She must have been saving it up and worked at extruding it for a while.

Hers is on the right, for comparison it is next to typical ones from the other two birds; one of those is like the comparison egg I used in the first photo in this thread. I'll see when I open it up if it happens to be a double yoker or anything, but bottom line is, I think everything is ok.