Soft Shell Egg question...

[Al Capon]

This week, my group of chickens turned 30 wks old and one of them dropped a thin shelled egg in the coop overnight this week, so they're still working out the kinks.

The next day, the suspected culprit was hitting the oyster shell hard, like she knew there was an issue.

Occasionally they'll still go sit in the nest boxes without laying an egg, fussing all the while. At about 24 wks, one of them dropped 2 yolks while dust bathing, the mongrels jumped on those yolks and had them devoured before I could slap em out of it.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, they're still ironing out the details.

 

[aart]

Also, someone mentioned feeding a hard boiled egg, shell and all, I'm boiling up a couple now, how often should I do this?

Maybe once a week, to give them some animal protein....won't necessarily solve the softie situation tho.

@moniquem, I'm far from an expert but I read they very rarely lay more than one egg a day, something more like a 24 hour gap between lays, so if she laid once it's unlikely she will lay a second time, especially after such a short time, but someone more knowledgeable will correct me there.

Col.

New layers, especially high production breeds, can release more than one ova in a 24 hour period...usually only one will be hard shelled. It's not all that uncommon....but could, maybe, indicate a hormone imbalance and possible laying problems in the future.

 

[moniquem]

New layers, especially high production breeds, can release more than one ova in a 24 hour period...usually only one will be hard shelled. It's not all that uncommon....but could, maybe, indicate a hormone imbalance and possible laying problems in the future.

Well I think Barred Rocks are a high production breed? I'm not concerned about the amount of eggs my girls lay, I just want them to be healthy and happy.

 

[aart]

Well I think Barred Rocks are a high production breed?

Not sure....was thinking more of the sexlinks and leghorns.
Any bird can go wonky.

 

[Col1948]

Well my soft egg layer went on the nest this morning, she was on there for almost an hour, when she got off I fully expected an egg either broken or if lucky in tact, but no egg.

Col.

 

[aart]

Well my soft egg layer went on the nest this morning, she was on there for almost an hour, when she got off I fully expected an egg either broken or if lucky in tact, but no egg.

Col.

Hopefully she decided it wasn't ready....or she's passing another softie, they can be hard to move.

 

[moniquem]

Well my soft egg layer went on the nest this morning, she was on there for almost an hour, when she got off I fully expected an egg either broken or if lucky in tact, but no egg.

My BR does that too....I have been keeping track of whose laying and how often and she does lay a regular egg at least 4 times per week now. One of those eggs, I think it was Mondays egg, was literally about twice the size of all the other eggs I've been getting, including hers. OUCH! She has laid 2 normal eggs since then. I guess I'll just chillax and let things take there course..... As long as she doesn't become egg bound!

 

[Col1948]

This morning at 10.15 I noticed my soft eggshell layer going on the nest so I watched.
She shuffled about a lot, and a few times flared out her tail feathers, I was thinking this is the moment of lay but no.
Then more shuffles and after 45 minutes she stood up and I spotted the egg, I went in quick and grabbed it before she stood on it.
It was intact but the shell was between brittle and soft if that makes sense, any way I cracked it open in a dish, I gave her a little treat unbeknown to the other hens lol, her reward.

 

[moniquem]

I hadn't found a soft shell in weeks but last night, found one in the yard. I have been giving the girls 2 hard boiled eggs, including the shell, every Saturday morning.

I'm wondering if its my Speckled Sussex, she's the only one that hasn't started laying. My Barred Rock, Easter Egger and Australorp have been laying quite steadily for weeks....

Who knows, right?

 

[Col1948]

Well I'm no expert but if it's in the yard it could be the Sussex with her not in to the pattern on laying yet.
I've read sometimes they can lay on the roost, I found one one day under it but not had anymore, not sure who to blame for that.

I only had 2 out of the five laying, one laid perfect medium eggs and the other these soft shell ones, but the last 4 days had nothing from the perfect layer, she may have stopped for a bit now.
The other 3 I think maybe too young or they may lay soon, but with the weather getting colder they may wait.