Soft Egg - Just a fluke?

[philbfarm]

Hi friends, my girls are laying pretty regularly now. Although the size has varied, they have all been perfect. This morning, I found a soft egg. I have recently changed them to laying pellets (which they are not crazy about, but will eat). They do free-range for a good part of the day. And I am guilty of giving them lots of treats - in the form of fruits and table scraps.

I will start giving them oyster shells - any other suggestions?

 

[Vickilynn45]

I cut way back on my treats, and put out a bowl of oyster shell, and have had nice, hard shells ever since.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Just have oyster shell available free choice. They will take it when their bodies need it.

As for the soft shelled egg, it happens in new layers. Their bodies are working out the kinks in the egg factory.

 

[DianaMallory]

I have been doing good the soft shell eggs stopped and everyone was laying in the boxes until this morning! I found one soft shell egg under the roost this morning. I have 6 nesting boxes and I find 5 eggs in one box everyday. I have 11 golden comets and this week I have been getting 11 eggs everyday. Got 11 this morning but one was soft. I don't use oyster shell I grind egg shells up and mix it with their food. For small eggs, I was told by Meyer hatchery to feed them oats. That speeds up the process of size of the eggs. My Girls get oatmeal every morning! I have had no more tiny eggs since.

 

[philbfarm]

They are all new layers (eight out of nine started within the last two months!...still waiting on number 9). I went out and bought two boxes of oyster shells. I will take your suggestion and put out a bowl this morning. I am new to this, so I wasn't sure how much they should have. I also give them oats with their morning mix, and I will cut back on the treats - although they will not be happy about that.

Thanks so much!