Soft Shelled Egg - help please!

[krista74]

Hi everyone. My Buff Orpington pullet ("Orpy") has been laying for about two weeks now. She has been very consistent - in fact, I think she has given us an egg 6 days out of 7 for both of those weeks.

So far, her eggs have been perfect - they are on the smallish side (51g-53g) and are a creamy colour, and they have had no flaws to speak of. Today though? I got what I am assuming is a soft-shelled egg. I don't have a picture but I think I can describe it fairly accurately.

It was laid under the roost, which is unusual for her. The 'shell' was like a 3/4 inch white ribbon of paper that had been unrolled. The yolk and whites themselves were also under the roost, and looked perfect, but for the absence of a shell around them!

So my questions: Is this 'normal' for a fresh pullet who has recently started laying? Is there anything I can do to ensure I get breakfast tomorrow and going forward?

All the flock (7 including her) look extremely healthy, bright eyed and active. There is free access to grit in their coop.

Is there a commercial calcium that can/should be added to their water to help? Or should I just let it go for now, and hope it was a one-off? Any advice appreciated. Krista

 

[subhanalah]

What kind of food are you feeding them? Have you provided them with crushed oyster she'll on the side?

 

[Rocky Rhodes]

I would just wait and see. I'm not an expert on this, but I get the occasional odd even weird egg. Unless it becomes frequent, I would say it is probably normal. You could offer them crushed oyster shells, but if you feed a quality layer feed they should be getting enough calcium.

 

[yooper coop]

Crushed oyster shell, also my 79 year old dad told me when he was a kid they would find a soft shelled egg and my grandmother would crush a bag of washed egg shells with a rolling pin and spread it out for the hens. That would take care of it. I just raise meat birds so deffinately not a expert. But my grandma had 600 layers so she prob. Was.

 

[krista74]

Thanks everyone! I'm not sure if I can get oyster shell around here, but I do give them grit. They are fed a mixture of stuff - vegie scraps, grain, layer crumbles (which they HATE), and some cracked corn occasionally. I have had discussions on the boards here regarding diet before and I think I will have to remove their grain and encourage them to tuck into the crumbles instead. I have dried out and crushed up some egg shells which I will throw into their coop today too. Hopefully this was a one-off?! Krista

 

[subhanalah]

It sounds like their diet is severely lacking?
Your feed store should carry crushed oyster shell. Would you be willing to switch to an all flock formula?
I ferment my feed, and have had great results.

http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/

 

[krista74]

Perhaps I wasn't clear, sorry. In addition to the grit they also get whole grain (wheat), cracked grain with added cracked lupin, cracked corn, layer crumbles, water and access to free range every day. We live on a creek so there are plenty of bugs and worms to forage for The grit they get is shell grit - crushed up sea shells. I think they have a pretty good diet!

 

[CrazyChickGirl]

Out chickens have been laying for a few weeks as well, and we've gotten one egg like that too. But just that one, and not anymore. I think if it continues you could look more into diet, but if not then it was just one of those things

 

[krista74]

Good news! Orpy laid a perfect egg this morning! I sat there with George (our cockerel) and quietly talked her through it, providing support and encouragement, and talking about omelettes! I am going to chalk the one soft shelled egg up to an anomaly and cross my fingers it doesn't happen again. Thanks all for your advice. Krista.