Soft eggs??

[Oklahomachick]

What causes a chicken to lay perfectly normal eggs & then lay one about once a month that is soft?

 

[Kelsie2290]

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs
http://www.avianweb.com/eggproblems.html
How old is she? Older birds will also do it occasionally, especially when they are coming back into lay after molting or something. With young layers a range of odd eggs like shell less ones and inconstant laying is pretty common, especially with the commercial birds, it is usually just because of their age. They are working on getting their egg laying system into gear. There are a list of other causes, but if she is only doing it occasionally it is probably just a glitch in her egg laying system where an egg gets passed through too fast for one reason or another. It usually does not have anything to do with calcium being deficient in her diet, but if she has a shell gland defect it is related to her ability to use the calcium correctly in making a shell, but she would lay them often in that case.

 

[Oklahomachick]

Thank you for your information. She is about 1 year old. Do you happen to know when they begin to molt? I have 5 that will be a yr. old toward the end of Feb.

Thank you

Oklahomachick

 

[CHICKEN CRAZY1]

Probably lack of calcium. Try giving her some crushed eggshells or oyster shell.

 

[Kelsie2290]

The usual age for them to go in to the big molt is 14-18 months, but that will vary by daylight hours, breed, individual bird, body condition etc etc. Some of the commercial breeds especially really never go into a full molt.
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/217/moulting-a-natural-process