soft eggs

[jla5980]

I keep getting soft eggs like 2 a week. I know it is from a few of them. I feed them oyster strong purina and give oyster shells to them in a dish. I even got the calcium in a powder and put on their food. still getting some soft eggs. no clue what’s going on. All seem to look fine and active. They all eat and drink. cannot figure this out. I am stumped. any ideas ?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are they pullets just starting to lay or have they been laying for a while? Sometimes it takes a pullet a couple of weeks to get the kinks worked out of her internal egg making factory.

If it is older hens it may be something wrong with the hen. Some just don't process the calcium they eat correctly, no matter how much they eat. Often that is genetic.

Sometimes a hen might release more than one yolk a day to start a new egg. If she releases them at the same time you can get a double yolked egg. If they are spread out a bit two different eggs may make their way through that internal egg factory. The hen makes a limited amount of shell material so sometimes there is not enough for the second egg. Are you getting several double yolked eggs? This could be a sign you have a hen releasing too many yolks.

It takes an egg about 25 hours to make its way through the hen's internal egg making factory. Most of that time is spent in the shell gland where the shell is being added. If something happens to cause her to lay the egg before the process is complete that egg shell can be thin or non-existent, just a membrane. These eggs are usually white if it is a brown egg laying hen.

How many low-calcium treats are you feeding them? Maybe she is filling up on those treats and not eating enough regular feed to get the calcium she needs. Most hens have the instinct to eat oyster shell if they need the extra calcium for the shells but this instinct can be stronger in some than others. Maybe she is not eating enough calcium.

Some diseases can cause soft eggs or otherwise weird eggs. If the hens are acting normal and not standing around all fluffed up and lethargic and the other eggs are normal it is probably not a disease.

When I have these types of problems I try to determine if it is a flock-wide problem or an individual hen problem so I know how to approach it. I don't want to hurt the flock because of one hen's individual problem. This sounds more like an individual hen problem than a flock problem but I don't know that for sure. My suggestion is to stop feeding them extra treats if they are getting a lot for a week and see if that helps. Or try to determine which hen it is (that can be hard) and if you want her in your flock. If it is pullets just starting to lay, wait a month before you do anything to see if it clears up in its own.

Good luck!

 

[Kiki]

X2...I'd like to know what else you feed them besides the complete feed.

How often and what kind of treats do you feed?

 

[jla5980]

my leghorns are about a year and never a prb until like april. my buffs, australorp and barred rock are 7-8 months and have been laying for a while. It is definitely more than one. I have seen two different hens do this right in front of me. two night ago the buff went to nest and did a soft one at 6:30 pm. this was her second egg this day because I got 9 good (hard) eggs that day from all 9 hens. it happens like once or twice a week. I am feeding oyster strong purina. i give calcium shells. I don’t think they eat enough of it. They are acting normal to me. all bright red combs and social. come out and run around and active. i did notice when they are about to pass the egg they get sleepy and lay down. the. they pass it and back to active hen. . NO CLUE what is going on. I am doing everything i can. I feed them some mealworms, black oil sunflower seeds, -when it is hot -watermelon and cantaloupe. i have fed them kale, watercress, sometimes sardines , tuna. i don’t feed them as much as I use to since i don’t know what is going on. scared it’s causing this problem. perhaps soemthing outside they are eating ? not enough sun? (not much i can do about this ) have been doing calcium powder on layena purina food and vitamin d in water. It had become stressful and worrisome. I did purchase cruah oyster which I hope they like more than the manna pro chunky ones. oh and i also give them their shells when i make the eggs. stumped right ??? me too!!!!

Are they pullets just starting to lay or have they been laying for a while? Sometimes it takes a pullet a couple of weeks to get the kinks worked out of her internal egg making factory.

If it is older hens it may be something wrong with the hen. Some just don't process the calcium they eat correctly, no matter how much they eat. Often that is genetic.

Sometimes a hen might release more than one yolk a day to start a new egg. If she releases them at the same time you can get a double yolked egg. If they are spread out a bit two different eggs may make their way through that internal egg factory. The hen makes a limited amount of shell material so sometimes there is not enough for the second egg. Are you getting several double yolked eggs? This could be a sign you have a hen releasing too many yolks.

It takes an egg about 25 hours to make its way through the hen's internal egg making factory. Most of that time is spent in the shell gland where the shell is being added. If something happens to cause her to lay the egg before the process is complete that egg shell can be thin or non-existent, just a membrane. These eggs are usually white if it is a brown egg laying hen.

How many low-calcium treats are you feeding them? Maybe she is filling up on those treats and not eating enough regular feed to get the calcium she needs. Most hens have the instinct to eat oyster shell if they need the extra calcium for the shells but this instinct can be stronger in some than others. Maybe she is not eating enough calcium.

Some diseases can cause soft eggs or otherwise weird eggs. If the hens are acting normal and not standing around all fluffed up and lethargic and the other eggs are normal it is probably not a disease.

When I have these types of problems I try to determine if it is a flock-wide problem or an individual hen problem so I know how to approach it. I don't want to hurt the flock because of one hen's individual problem. This sounds more like an individual hen problem than a flock problem but I don't know that for sure. My suggestion is to stop feeding them extra treats if they are getting a lot for a week and see if that helps. Or try to determine which hen it is (that can be hard) and if you want her in your flock. If it is pullets just starting to lay, wait a month before you do anything to see if it clears up in its own.

Good luck!

 

[jla5980]

X2...I'd like to know what else you feed them besides the complete feed.

How often and what kind of treats do you feed?

see above comment / reply. i use to give a lot of whatever i have but cut it down the last month big time.

 

[Kiki]

see above comment / reply. i use to give a lot of whatever i have but cut it down the last month big time.

Ok great...thanks.

Feed zero treats and stick to just the complete feed. It is better for them.

 

[jla5980]

thanks I will. should I not let them free range ? prb is i use the treats to get them up from the road etc lol. i will stop giving them that. Just scared they will have that egg infection if this continues. first time having chickens and this has been tough. I am so aggrevated i cannot figure it out. i do have one that does a sneeze once in a while but always has done it for like 5 months or so. i figured it is dust etc. like a human. might take a few to the vet anyways to have them checked. oh and they were negative for worms. had them tested 2 months ago and redoing next weekend to make sure that’s not it. doubt it. i do notice loose stool only during the day. prb form water intake and the crazy heat and chang dog weather here in nj.

 

[Kiki]

thanks I will. should I not let them free range ? prb is i use the treats to get them up from the road etc lol. i will stop giving them that. Just scared they will have that egg infection if this continues. first time having chickens and this has been tough. I am so aggrevated i cannot figure it out. i do have one that does a sneeze once in a while but always has done it for like 5 months or so. i figured it is dust etc. like a human. might take a few to the vet anyways to have them checked. oh and they were negative for worms. had them tested 2 months ago and redoing next weekend to make sure that’s not it. doubt it. i do notice loose stool only during the day. prb form water intake and the crazy heat and chang dog weather here in nj.

Contact your state lab, you can find a link to it here:
Necropsy and disease testing lab info

You should be able to collect samples and send them in yourself to have testing done for different diseases if you are worried about illness.
If you tell me what state you are in I will look up exact costs...they are usually pretty reasonably priced.
For sure cheaper than a vet office visit plus testing cost.
(Your vet probably sends samples to the state lab to have tested anyways)