same diet, different eggs

[bcbug1]

So, I have 6 chickens: 2 RIRs hatched early Feb., and then 4 hatched late Feb (SLW, EE, Cuckoo Marans, and a black Minorca). July 5-6 the RIRs and SLW started laying small, adorable eggs - the smaller RIR and the SLW have been laying daily ever since (well, the SLW missed one day) - their eggs are fine, small, but good shells. I did something stupid - I grabbed one an egg from under the big RIR from the nest box. That was the last good egg she laid - now she's laying soft shelled ones kind of willy nilly about for the last week (I assume it's her because she laid a couple eggs and then stopped). The soft shelled ones are much lighter in colour than what her good eggs were. Did she do this because I grabbed the egg from under her (she didn't say anything at the time and she was standing up)?

Now I'm getting 2 or 3 soft shelled eggs a day, so I think the Cuckoo and the Minorca may have started laying too (I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing the big RIR can't lay that many soft shells in a day and the smaller RIR and the SLW are still laying reliably every day good eggs).

They are still on grower food (next bag I was going to buy layer), but they don't seem to eat that much of it. They get scratch and I started oyster shell a few days ago. Lots of weeds, grass, and various other treats when they appear. So, is it strange that 2 lay fine and the others appear to be messed up given they're the same age and have the same diet? If it's their egg-laying machinery that needs working out, how long can that take?

Thanks for any insights.

 

[Den in Penn]

They may well have been low on calcium. The calcium supplement takes a few days to work into the system, so be a little patient. It may be that the diet preferences of the two laying soft shells leans towards calcium low foods. I would also cut down on the treats and start them on layer. You can mix the last of the grower with the lay to get them used to it.