Soft Shell Eggs in the middle of the night

[Michael Propst]

I have a 13 month old White Rock that in the past 3 weeks has started laying soft shell eggs in the middle of the night. This started just as spring start to set on. She does occasionally lay a normal egg during the day but for the past 2 nights I have found a broken soft shelled egg under were she roosts at night. I checked on the girls last night before bed around 9:00pm and found one again. As I mentioned before she has always been a good layer even laid well during the very harsh winter we just had and not that spring is setting on it is as if her system is off cycle. I am still much of a newby when it comes to chickens and learning more very day. I am not experiencing problems with any of the other 5 hens I have. They are on a healthy layer diet and I always have oyster shell available in a separate bowl. They also get a good amount of time to free range my backyard. Other than laying soft shelled eggs in the middle of the night from her roost she appears to be completely normal and healthy. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. Picture attached of what she is producing

 

[Kiki]

Do you offer any treats? If so exactly how much.

 

[Michael Propst]

Do you offer any treats? If so exactly how much.

The only treats they get is about 1/2 cup of grubs and a cup of sprouted grains (1/4 each of wheat, barley, oats, peas) in which I sprinkle with a herb blend this is the total amount split between the 6 hens. As I mentioned before now that spring is here and the weather is nicer they have been able to be out and free range the backyard allot more.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Could be lack of calcium
And young layers usually lay soft shelled eggs when getting started

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Do you give them grit ?

 

[Mckennas poultry]

1) Young layers often lay soft-shelled eggs when they are first getting started. This should stop once their reproductive systems mature and fully develop.

2) Stress can cause a hen to lay her egg prematurely without the shell. Being chased by children, or harassed by dogs or other predators can be the cause of great stress and fright.

3) Older hens often lay thin-shelled eggs since the same amount of shell must encompass a much larger amount of yolk/white than when she was younger (eggs generally get larger as a hen ages).

4) A Calcium deficiency can result in soft-shelled eggs, so be sure you provide the added calcium supplement in the form of egg- or oyster shell.

5) A Vitamin D deficiency can also result in eggs with soft shells, so allowing your chickens time outdoors year round is important.

6) Far less common, soft-shelled eggs can be a symptom of such diseases as Newcastle disease or infectious bronchitis. If you are regularly seeing soft-shelled eggs, a vet should be consulted if you have ruled out all other causes.

 

[Michael Propst]

Do you give them grit ?

They have grit and oyster shell available in separate bowls 24/7

 

[Michael Propst]

Could be lack of calcium
And young layers usually lay soft shelled eggs when getting started

I do provide oyster shell in a separate bowl 24/7. She laid normally all last fall and through the winter, this started about a month ago when spring finally set in.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

At the beginning of spring I sometimes get little so called “fart eggs”
For the first week of them beginning to lay, if it’s been going on for a month I would contact a vet.

 

[Michael Propst]

At the beginning of spring I sometimes get little so called “fart eggs”
For the first week of them beginning to lay, if it’s been going on for a month I would contact a vet.

Thanks. A month may have been exaggerated as far at this happening frequently. It has probably been a little over a week that it has been consistent like this. Over the past month she had maybe one a week but was also laying normal eggs as well. It has just really been the past week that I have been getting these every night. I was hoping that with the change of seasons and the girls coming back into a regular laying pattern that her system was just a little off and would adjust. Thanks for the recommendation, I had already planned on giving her about another week and then calling my vet.