Soft shell egg on one end

[chixrus2013]

Help. I have a year old hen that has started laying an egg that is soft at only 1 end. It’s also discolored. Dark on one end (which is what it should be all over) and light at the other end. She is still laying 1 egg almost every day. She seems totally fin except she does have some missing feathers in the front of her neck in a strip down her neck bone. Only place missing feathers. They’re all on layer feed. Haven’t supplemented with calcium.

 

[Folly's place]

Any recent illness in your flock? New birds added? Some respiratory viruses can cause 'funky eggs' too. Or she's having a malfunction all her own, at her shell gland. Might straighten out, or not, sorry.
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd try supplementing her with calcium for a few weeks to see if you can get some improvement.

If you know exactly which bird is the problem bird, isolate her for a private breakfast. 2-3x a week serve a small bowl (like 1 Tbsp is fine) of wet or fermented feed with oyster shell mixed in. If she does not like chunks of oyster shell, crush it up or use the powdery remnants from bottom of the bag. Should only take her minutes to eat and after that she's free to go.

Assuming her issue is simply insufficient calcium intake, you should see results in a week or two, and you can try reducing it to 1-2x a week and should hopefully continue getting good results.

IF you do not see any improvement, it could be a shell gland issue or something else funky about her system that's causing her to not shell eggs correctly.

 

[Yardmom]

Add calcium (extra egg shells beyond what your birds lay or oyster shells) to the whole flock as well as making sure your main feed has a good amount of protein more than 16 percent. This should help curve the possibility of true egg eaters. Remember it is normal for them to eat eggs that have already broken. Did she lay all winter? If so hopefully she is just going into early molt. I have seen eggs similar during early molt. After a laying break the eggs were fine. As others have said get her extra calcium for a few weeks to see if the problem is solved. (Do for both birds if unsure which one.) Hopefully the calcium is all she needs.

 

[Folly's place]

Years ago there was data stating that ground egg shell, eaten during the day, were no longer available in the early morning hours when the shell is formed in the oviduct. I don't know if that's been refuted, or true. So oyster shell is still your best addition to her diet.
Mary

 

[Saveria]

That does sound super bizarre. There is a ton of info on egg eating on here, here is one thread from yesterday.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chickens-keep-eating-their-eggs-what-do-i-do.1529514/

I would also implement all the other advise from the folks who wrote here. Give it a week or so and let us know if there is any change.

 

[Saveria]

How long has she been doing it for? Only two days?

 

[nuthatched]

She could be molting.https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[chixrus2013]

How long has she been doing it for? Only two days?

No. It’s been happening for about 3 weeks now

 

[Saveria]

She could be molting.https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

Nuthatched, do you know someone we could tag for troubleshooting egg issues?