Sapphire Gem Laying Problems

[andreanar]

I have a hen like this. It is very hard on them to pass a softy, as there is no resistance (the hard shell) for their insides to push against to get it out. I did Nutri Drench and liquid calcium and Vit D. Vit D is needed to absorb calcium. She grew out of it!

 

[kmom08]

Since chickens only lay one egg , it sounds like another pullet may be coming into lay and hadn't got the links worked out yet. Soft shell / no shell are usually common in pullets.

I'm 99% positive it's her laying the soft shell egg, none are laid in the nest box always under the roost where she is. I started out with 5 Sapphire Gems, and 2 Calico Princess and all 7 are now laying. It wasn't until I rehomed 2 of the sapphires and a calico to a friend last week that I realized it was in fact Luna doing it. But out of 7 that were laying to get 7 eggs a day I know they were all laying. Luna will lay a huge double yolk hard shell egg some days as well. I'm not sure if maybe it's this breed, because there isn't much info available on them yet. I also have 4 the same age that have not begun laying 2 Welsummer's, a silver laced Wyandotte and a silver laced polish. (we're technically only allowed 6 hens in my town, but it's finally in the works to change the silly rule)

 

[EggWalrus]

There are ways to identify which chicken lays which egg. Food coloring, lip stick, or you could just put her in a cage by herself for a few days till she lays. If shes in a cage for even a day and the mystery egg appears under the roost, you'll know it's not her.

 

[kmom08]

I figured I would post an update. I have only seen 1 soft shell since posting my reply last week, and again it was under the roost. I got huge double yolks from her 4 days in a row, then nothing for one day and another even larger double yolk the day after that. I really hope her body is sorting things out. I also have seen her eating from the 2nd oyster shell location and not from the first, I think maybe I mounted the first one in a place they aren't all noticing it. I used a tuna can with a hose clamp (same with the grit) and mounted them to the legs of the coop. I always used tuna cans with my last flock and had no issues, but these girls seem to prefer the rabbit feeders I added over the tuna cans. Odd how different chickens can be.

Photo's of her Jumbo eggs. Lighting is off in the 2nd photo, because the egg appears a little darker than it actually is.

 

[Mama_in_the_Dell]

I had an Isa Brown do this quite a few times. It wouldn’t happen all the time but here and there. I ended up changing the feed I was using (Nutrigena back to Dumor) and stopped having issues. I keep oyster shells in the run and out in the yard. I was also starting to get a few funky eggs and now they all look great again with thick shells. Except now I have at least one molting already. ‍