Soft eggs and misshaped eggs

[carlsonbwin]

We have 7 2 year old hens, 6 are Buffs and 1 in a Rhode Island Red. They all molted this past fall and winter and are now back to laying eggs, however the RIR hen who was our best layer is now laying soft shell eggs and one Buff lay long oval misshaped eggs. We feed Purina Oyster shell mixed in laying mash and they also get free choice oyster shells plus scratch feed and grit. They have an outside run and chicken coop is 8 x 12 also out on pasture for part of the day. Completely fenced in runs as we have a lot of fox in the area. What can we do?

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Ours have a that stuff too, Nd I have one that lays soft eggs. I don't really know what the problem is.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Do you mean you are adding oyster shell to their layer feed?

 

[aart]

We feed Purina Oyster shell mixed in laying mash and they also get free choice oyster shells plus scratch feed and grit.

Yeah, don't mix oyster shell in with feed,
keep grit and shell in 2 separate containers for them to use as needed.

Might want to cut out the scratch feed too,
layer feed is meant to be the sole feed.

Funky eggs also can happen as they start up laying again.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Misshapen eggs can also be from a respiratory infection damaging the reproductive tract.
Mixing oyster shell or any other calcium source with feed upsets the ratio of phosphorus to calcium intake creating unexpected results in the egg shells.

 

[carlsonbwin]

Yeah, don't mix oyster shell in with feed,
keep grit and shell in 2 separate containers for them to use as needed.

Might want to cut out the scratch feed too,
layer feed is meant to be the sole feed.

Funky eggs also can happen as they start up laying again.

 

[carlsonbwin]

We don't add oyster shells to our laying mash, Purena makes a laying mash with it in the mix. Also offer free choice. Feed scratch in cold weather but not in warm.

 

[carlsonbwin]

Hen still laying soft eggs but is now eating the yolk. Something she needs in her diet?

 

[aart]

Hen still laying soft eggs but is now eating the yolk. Something she needs in her diet?

Did you cut out the scratch and anything else other than the main layer feed?
Eating a soft egg is more of an opportunity than a dietary issue or an egg eating habit, tho it can be come a habit. Best to get those eggs up asap, and any others, before they eat them and put ceramic or hard plastic fake eggs in the nests.