Soft eggs from 2 year old

[TwinChickens]

One of our girls has left us soft eggs over the last two weeks, and despite adding a few drops of calcium to their water and giving them food with shell grit, her shells are consistently thin and/or not there (although I suspect not much of the calcium from the water actually went in their mouths as kicking their water around seems to be their favourite thing). I also know exactly which chook it is as she laid right in front of me in the garden a few days ago. Anybody know any other reason this might happen or have any tips on helping her out with her eggs??

 

[slordaz]

did they just come off of a molt? Sometimes they will before or after molt as feather production takes so much out of them. calcium in liquid form shouldn't be added to water but given directly at the tip of the beak.

 

[TwinChickens]

This particular bird hasn't been on a moult, although some of our other birds have so its possible she may be about to start one soon. thanks for the info about the calcium, I'll give that a try (if she'll let me).

 

[slordaz]

This particular bird hasn't been on a moult, although some of our other birds have so its possible she may be about to start one soon. thanks for the info about the calcium, I'll give that a try (if she'll let me).

Chickens will be chickens, if all else fails put it on some egg or bread but not liquid .

gotta love it when they don't wanna be cooperative.

 

[TwinChickens]

Yes, she is probably the quickest and wariest of our flock too... guess I'll have to wait until she roosts.

 

[slordaz]

Yes, she is probably the quickest and wariest of our flock too... guess I'll have to wait until she roosts.

That's a good idea too, sorry coffee is just starting to work here , but brain ain't outta bed yet to catch up to the body lol

 

[TwinChickens]

By the way, would there be any reason she would suddenly lay an egg outside the box (just standing in a garden bed) that could be related to the soft shells??

 

[slordaz]

By the way, would there be any reason she would suddenly lay an egg outside the box (just standing in a garden bed) that could be related to the soft shells??

more likely something interested her out there and she didn't have time to make it back to the box.
But I would watch so it doesn't become a habit, if she's repeatedly doing, it I would do a search or an invader where the laying boxes are and the room they are housed in or bullying at the laying box is another thing that could cause them to do that.

 

[TwinChickens]

more likely something interested her out there and she didn't have time to make it back to the box.
But I would watch so it doesn't become a habit, if she's repeatedly doing, it I would do a search or an invader where the laying boxes are and the room they are housed in or bullying at the laying box is another thing that could cause them to do that.

Alright, thank you so much for helping a (probably just paranoid) worried chicken mama

 

[slordaz]

Alright, thank you so much for helping a (probably just paranoid) worried chicken mama

Aren't we all? having our feather friends we are all there at one point or another, when it's not our turn we are here to support others that the chickens are just making us scratch our heads about lol.