Should I be worried?

[Silkiebegins]

You can give her crushed egg shells and that'll give her calcium back. I also have a chicken who lays tiny eggs on days that are rainy. So we call them stress eggs but their actual name are fairy eggs.

 

[Silkiebegins]

One of our silkie bantams had layed an egg without a shell so we just her crushed egg shells mixed in with her shell and she hasn't layed one since. You also want to make sure that the eggs you have crushed for her have been crushed tiny enough so she doesn't become an egg eater.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Different things can cause a hen to lay an egg like that. Typically a hen lays one egg a day but occasionally one will lay 2 (or even more) eggs in a day. If they release two yolks about the same time you get double yolked eggs. If they are released some time apart a second egg can be laid later. A hen makes a certain amount of calcium each day. If most of that is used on the first egg the second egg will often be soft-shelled or thin-shelled. This is my guess as most likely.

Sometimes there are just glitches. The way I look at it we are all allowed an occasional glitch. If it happens again soon get back to us and we can discuss it but I tend to ignore it unless it becomes a regular occurrence.

 

[TillyPeeps]

She looks like my Silkie x Polish mix girl. You can google pictures of Polkie chickens. If it only happened one time, the soft -shell egg could be an occasional glitch. Then you have nothing to worry about. If it happens again, definitely give her some calcium pills.

 

[honeyb711]

One of our silkie bantams had layed an egg without a shell so we just her crushed egg shells mixed in with her shell and she hasn't layed one since. You also want to make sure that the eggs you have crushed for her have been crushed tiny enough so she doesn't become an egg eater.

It had a shell, it just had not hardened. But she does get scrambled egg with shell, twice a week, aswell as access to grit every single day.

Im hoping it just a once off glitch anyway, today her egg is perfect again.

 

[Silkiebegins]

It had a shell, it just had not hardened. But she does get scrambled egg with shell, twice a week, aswell as access to grit every single day.

Im hoping it just a once off glitch anyway, today her egg is perfect again.

So the shell was squishy? If so that what I was talking about. Anyway, It's nothing to worry about.

 

[Mrs. K]

It happens, if you do something it tends to go away, and if you don't do anything, it tends to go away.

Diet will have a minimal effect on it. But really, there is little people can do to change or modify eggs or egg laying. If you are feeding a basic diet, with calcium available, that is all you can do.

It is nothing to worry about, and if you open the egg and cook it, it is just an ordinary eggs. It might have more exposure to bacteria without an intact shell - the dog can eat them no problem.
Mrs K

 

[honeyb711]

So the shell was squishy? If so that what I was talking about. Anyway, It's nothing to worry about.

It was more so 'crunchy' than it was squishy. It was very odd But she seems to be ok, so I will just keep an eye on it x

 

[NatJ]

it was dry & felt like it was 'cracking' as touched. It felt a little like a meringue does, & felt like it would just 'crumble'...however it took quiet a bit to actually 'crack' it open.

It had a shell, it just had not hardened.

I'm most familiar with the term "softshell egg" for those.

Sometimes they have just a membrane on the outside.

Other times they are like the egg you found, with the membrane covered by a thin layer of the usual eggshell material. Normal eggs have a much thicker layer of that, which makes them strong and hard. When it is very thin it is weak, which is why that egg would crack or crumble as you handled it. The membrane is quite strong, which would be why it was difficult to actually open it.

But she seems to be ok, so I will just keep an eye on it

That is what I would do, too.

 

[honeyb711]

I'm most familiar with the term "softshell egg" for those.

Sometimes they have just a membrane on the outside.

Other times they are like the egg you found, with the membrane covered by a thin layer of the usual eggshell material. Normal eggs have a much thicker layer of that, which makes them strong and hard. When it is very thin it is weak, which is why that egg would crack or crumble as you handled it. The membrane is quite strong, which would be why it was difficult to actually open it.


That is what I would do, too.

Thank you!! I'm so glad someone understood what I was trying to explain, that is exactly what is was, a soft, but strong partly formed shell!


She has laid 2 perfect eggs since, but now this morning, another egg exactly the same as the one mentioned...so it isn't a once off...

If this is a calcium issue, what more can I do to be sure she getting enough than just being sure she always has access to grit? Should I increase the scramble egg & crushed shell from twice weekly to every second day? Is there anything I can give her directly to boost calcium?


& if it isn't a calcium issue....what could it be? The example above about water belly scares me