My eight RRRs are laying eight eggs almost every day. I am so proud of them. BUT one of them is laying a very softshelled egg. I guess it's the same one. The shell is brittle. How can this be? they are all fed the same, none of them seems to be abused or anything.
have these chickens just started laying? Often times, when they just start, it takes a while for them to get their egg laying internals up and going properly. Also, this one chicken could have something wrong inside to make it lay this way. If they haven't been laying long I'd suggest giving it a little more time. I had a hen who had been laying for awhile and still had extra shell deposits in clumps on the outside of her eggs. This took away from the shell and made it thinner so I couldn't sell her eggs, also sometimes the egg would crack or bust in the nest. After I saw this was just they way she was going to be and wasn't going to change I culled her and put her in the freezer.
Mine just started laying (at 18 weeks, who'd of thunked it)...anyway, one of the teeny eggs was perfectly formed but mushy, almost like jello. Just one.....I figured the plumbing just wasn't quite right yet.
For a pullet that has just started laying, it's not uncommon for them to lay soft or shell less eggs and exceptionally small (fart eggs). Also in the beginning they may skip days. The eggs will get larger after they have layed for awhile. I have a dish of free choice oyster shells by the birds feed. They will take what they want and need. Also I sometimes put some yogurt in some feed for them.
My hens have been laying since Oct 23rd, today I picked up the hen that is so often by herself, and she was light compared to the others. I wonder if she is the softshell layer? I thought that she was just a loner, but maybe not. If I bring her in the house to fatten her up, will she be accepted back into the flock after? Up to now I have not seen her abused in any way, but there is something wrong here.
If you reintroduce her at night after all have gone to roost, you should have very few to no problems. ETA: have you wormed the flock? do they have Oystershell? what protein % is in their feed? give Electrolytes & Poly Vi Sol (no Iron) in her water.
See them when they eat... Maybe she's the bottom of the pecking order and not been allowed to eat much? She could have low protein from lack of food, hence her weight and the egg shells
