soft shell eggs today

[silverback]

I have 3 hens (hyline browns) who are about 1 year old and have been laying brilliantly since last Thanksgiving. I get 3 perfect eggs almost every day. This morning I found 3 broken eggs with paper thin shells below their sleeping perch - not in their nests. This has never happened before. The girls seem fine. They get free choice Oyster shell and Layena Sunfresh recipe crumbles feed. I did change the brand of oyster shell a week ago (manna pro oyster shell - pullet size heat treated for purity). The old oyster shell I was using was more crushed than this is. Not sure if this has anything to do with it. Then later today, one of the hens went to her nest and laid a perfect egg ( it did have some calcium bumps which is not uncommon for her.). So, either she laid two eggs today (one soft and one regular) or the other one or two laid the three soft eggs. A mystery.

I have been reading to find out the various causes: not enough calcium, stress (yes it did rain hard last night), molting (no sign of this), age (they are only 1 year old). So, any ideas? I am hoping all will be well tomorrow. But somehow 3 hens produced 4 eggs today even though 3 of those eggs were premature...

Thanks for any help!

S.

 

[coralanna]

I got my first shell les egg yesterday. It was getting dark and one hen laid it in the corner of the coop. We have 31 red sex links and where batting 1000 for the last week. (we have had them 5 weeks tomorrow.) Today we got 29 eggs and are keeping a close eye on them. hopefully tomorrow we are back up to 31 so I know they are all laying propper again. Also yesterday was the first day they where let out in the outside run.(just finished making it). I`m looking forward to hearing the replies to this post too.

Alan

 

[silverback]

Today I got one normal egg laid in the nest and one that I found on the coop floor. The one on the floor had a hard shell but it was very light (normal is brown or light brown) with darker bumps. It would appear that calcium is not the problem. The third hen did not lay today. So all in all things are improving. Hoping for 3 normal eggs tomorrow.

By the way, I will be getting 3 black sex link pullets end of the month so the flock will double!

S.

 

[silverback]

After several worrisome days Silver seems back to normal. Today she laid a perfect egg. Yesterday it was rough and mottled. The day before it was on the floor of the coop and had a hole in it. But she progressed daily ever since she dropped 3 soft ones a few days ago. I am guessing she had some stress or trauma and it set her off on a bad spell. For now she seems to be fine and all my stress over her shell gland and myriad other things is relieved!
S.