Soft and broken eggs

[mendozer]

So one of my 4 ladies started laying turtle eggs a month or so ago. Then all was fine and she was laying in the boxes (albeit white eggs, where as the other 3 plymouth rocks are brown eggers). Recently, I haven't gotten a white egg in awhile. They're all falling into the poop drawers under the floor. Upon inspection, they're all soft as well. I know chickens sometimes screw up when they first start laying, but how long am I to expect this?

Also, is the mis-colored egg thing just a freak thing or is that a sign of something bad?

thanks

 

[Fierlin1182]

I get white eggs and soft eggs from time to time (although not all at once!)
I think the soft shells are to do with calcium deficiency. I made a thread about shell grit recently, which I'd recommend from what I'm hearing.

No clue as to what's causing the different colour. Good luck though!

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Sounds like their low on calcium. If the hen doesn't have enough calcium in her diet, she can't form the egg shells and they come out kinda rubbery and often break. By adding a seperate feeder with oyster shells you can add more calcium into her diet and hopefully improve shell quality.

 

[mendozer]

their feed is Scratch and Peck Naturally Free, whose calcium is 3.5-4.1%. I do keep egg shells for the garden, so I can give them that I suppose. I just don't know why one has calcium deficiency while the others don't.

 

[Fierlin1182]

Maybe it's because she isn't eating as much of the feed as the others? I'd definitely try those shells. We crush up their egg shells to feed them if the eggs start becoming soft. Good luck!

Often we only find one soft egg in the nest too, usually only one of them has the problem.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
Is that a layer feed, or chicken scratch?

 

[mendozer]

it's a layer crumble. I do give them scratch occasionally, but they have a trough of layer crumble

 

[six_eclectic_chickens]

Try giving egg shells and/or crushed oyster shells.