Soft eggs at night?

jrossetti

Chirping
10 Years
Oct 12, 2009
49
2
84
Utah County, UT
I have a small flock - 2 silver laced wyandottes, a buff orp, and a rhode island red. They're all young layers, about 7-and-a-half months old and all laying as expected for new layers. (Though, all 4 still sleep on the floor of the coop, except when I physically place them on the roost in the dark).

The past two mornings I've found 2 soft eggs in the coop, when I let them out. The first night, I thought maybe there was some noise and they get startled. That day I got 2 normal eggs during the day, so it seemed ok. This morning, I found another two soft eggs, and yet all 4 hens have laid eggs today at the expected times - the first around 9am, and the last a few minutes ago (1pm or so).

I've also checked everything for mites, and can't see any, and don't see any other problems. Does anybody have any ideas what could be going on?
 
Are they getting proper nutrition? Are they eating treats? If you aren't offering oyster shell, that would be a good idea....
It isn't abnormal to get occasional soft eggs, especially at first, and they can be at night.
Describe your roost-- Is it too skinny, too high or?
 
Roost is a 2x3 flat side up of course, it's about 12" off the floor of the coop, and is long enough for about 6 hens. One previous chicken used it on his own from 12 weeks up until the day I discovered it was a roo, and had to get rid of him (city law), so I'm certain the roost is fine.

They have free-choice oystershell and I occasionally see them peck at it, though I'm feeding them Layena so I don't think nutrition or calcium is a problem. It's been hot here lately so I've been giving them ice blocks with berries frozen in them during the day and they also love watermelon.

It's really puzzling - technically I've gotten 6 eggs out of 4 hens today, so either I'm in the twilight zone or some wild hens are breaking into the coop at night and laying phantom softies, right?
 
well, it's probably just their egg laying systems getting the kinks out.....probably not to worry.
 

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