Soft Shell Question

[dbounds10]

Ok so I know that new layers sometimes lay soft eggs when they are getting up to speed, but here is my question.

I have 6 girls, 3 are laying. From the start they layed eggs with shells, never a soft or squishy egg. When the first started, I changed them over to layer pellets and added an oyster shell feeder. In addition, they get a treat of cottage cheese with crushed layer pellet mixed in every evening when they go out to free range (an hour before bed every night). So I thought that as the others started laying there would be enough calcium in their systems to avoid soft eggs. It was all going well since as 2 and 3 started shells were great.

When I went out this morning, I found a soft shell egg in the grass that must have been layed while they were out last night. So strange cause I sit out there with them and this egg was not 10 feet from my chair. Since I got 3 regular eggs yesterday this means I have a new layer (this would be #4) that is laying soft eggs.

Can a pullet with plenty of calcium in her system still lay soft shell eggs????

 

[donnavee]

I can't actually answer your question but will subscribe to this thread to see what others say. I have a mixed age flock, 2 and 1 yr old hens and then some pullets that just turned 18wks old. I have only gotten a soft egg occassionally over the years, but recently I started finding some under the roost in the morning. Finally figured out it was one of my 2yr old hens - a Black Sexlink. Because of the young bunch, I had switched to grower developer until they were old enough for the layer feed, but still offered plenty of oyster shell and yogurt so I don't know why this one started with the softies. She got one stuck in her which I finally got out, then she laid another soft one. I've switched back to layer now and hope she starts laying hard eggs again.

 

[vjbakke]

I have been finding soft egg under the roost about every other morning. They have been on layer feed for over a month with access to oyster shell. None are sick. The one this morning I found egg white on the roost, so she laid it on the roost! And it smashed open. I'm going to try feeding more yogurt and see if anything changes.