Soft Eggs

[TheklaF]

My chickens have been laying for about 3 months now without any problems. I just cleaned the coop and found 2 soft-shelled eggs. I have 5 chickens: 3 Golden Comet and 2 Black Australorp. I know the soft ones are coming from my Australorp (I had 3 perfect ones from my Golden Comets this morning). Could this be normal and they are starting to molt - even though they started laying only 3 months ago?

We free range in addition to their regular laying feed. I always throw oyster shells on the ground in the coop and around the coop.

Any suggestions? Not sure I'm doing everything right but I can't think of anything else to do....

TIA

 

[allymcshop]

My chickens have been laying for about 3 months now without any problems. I just cleaned the coop and found 2 soft-shelled eggs. I have 5 chickens: 3 Golden Comet and 2 Black Australorp. I know the soft ones are coming from my Australorp (I had 3 perfect ones from my Golden Comets this morning). Could this be normal and they are starting to molt - even though they started laying only 3 months ago?

We free range in addition to their regular laying feed. I always throw oyster shells on the ground in the coop and around the coop.

Any suggestions? Not sure I'm doing everything right but I can't think of anything else to do....

TIA

I give mine plain yogurt three times a week. That did the trick! They don't all eat the oyster shells but they love yogurt.

 

[aart]

My chickens have been laying for about 3 months now without any problems. I just cleaned the coop and found 2 soft-shelled eggs. I have 5 chickens: 3 Golden Comet and 2 Black Australorp. I know the soft ones are coming from my Australorp (I had 3 perfect ones from my Golden Comets this morning). Could this be normal and they are starting to molt - even though they started laying only 3 months ago?

We free range in addition to their regular laying feed. I always throw oyster shells on the ground in the coop and around the coop.

Any suggestions? Not sure I'm doing everything right but I can't think of anything else to do....

TIA

They shouldn't be molting at that age....but they may slow laying due to the shortening day.
Do they have the feed available 24/7?
Are you feeding any other 'treats'?

 

[TheklaF]

They have feed available 24/7. I'm giving them a handful of scratch during the day and some leftovers every now and then. It's only one of my hens who has this problem - all the other eggs are fine.

 

[Deannak63]

I just had the same issue. I’m thinking it’s one of my Rhode Island Reds (because she sits in the coop window and it was right below that spot—what a mess on the wall). I found it this morning when I opened the coop. Though I didn’t have any out as the shells have been VERY strong, I put some out in a dish for them.