Soft shelled egg. Should I switch feed?

[Jamiedanielle55]

Miss Petunia laid her first egg yesterday! She is a 15 week old sapphire gem. I was surprised she was my first to lay because my research showed that breed typically doesn’t lay until 18 weeks. I was thrilled by her tiny first egg but this morning I found a soft shelled egg in the same spot. I have a flock of 17 ranging in age from 10 to 15 weeks old. I still have them on pullet grower feed and wasn’t planning on transitioning to layer feed until a few of them were laying but now that my second egg was soft shelled should I start the transition early or just get some oyster shells to put out for them?

 

[EasterChickens]

Miss Petunia laid her first egg yesterday! She is a 15 week old sapphire gem. I was surprised she was my first to lay because my research showed that breed typically doesn’t lay until 18 weeks. I was thrilled by her tiny first egg but this morning I found a soft shelled egg in the same spot. I have a flock of 17 ranging in age from 10 to 15 weeks old. I still have them on pullet grower feed and wasn’t planning on transitioning to layer feed until a few of them were laying but now that my second egg was soft shelled should I start the transition early or just get some oyster shells to put out for them? View attachment 2788982View attachment 2788983View attachment 2788985

Hello, and congrats on your first egg! Is that the first egg she laid? (the one with the soft shells)? If so, then it's completely normal for starter layers to lay odd types of eggs such as soft shells, small eggs, or even double yolks. I would start feeding them layer crumbles that contains "oyster strong" in them. I do recommend you to start feeding them now so they can get the proper nutritions they need for their eggs which will help with soft shelled eggs. You can buy a 50 pound bag at Tractor Supply.

This is the one I'm using below.

 

[Jamiedanielle55]

Hello, and congrats on your first egg! Is that the first egg she laid? (the one with the soft shells)? If so, then it's completely normal for starter layers to lay odd types of eggs such as soft shells, small eggs, or even double yolks. I would start feeding them layer crumbles that contains "oyster strong" in them. I do recommend you to start feeding them now so they can get the proper nutritions they need for their eggs which will help with soft shelled eggs. You can buy a 50 pound bag at Tractor Supply.

This is the one I'm using below.

Thank you! I was thrilled about it. The first egg was the small hard shell and the second was the soft shell. I’m not sure if both were laid by the same chicken but My guess is that they were both laid by the same chicken because I found both in the same spot and they’re similar in size
Is it okay to switch such a young flock to layer feed? I feel like most things say to start layer feed around 16 weeks. My girls are all between 10-15 weeks. I’ve read too much calcium is hard on their kidneys but I’m still very new to being a chicken momma.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I have a flock of 17 ranging in age from 10 to 15 weeks old. I still have them on pullet grower feed and wasn’t planning on transitioning to layer feed until a few of them were laying but now that my second egg was soft shelled should I start the transition early or just get some oyster shells to put out for them?

10 weeks old is too early for Layers feed.
Put out Oyster Shells now and don't switch to a Layers feed till 18 weeks or one of each breed is laying, whichever is later.

GC

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Free choice crushed oyster shells or free choice crushed egg shells should help.
Good luck, Hope your calcium problem resolves quickly.
Welcome to BYC from New Orleans, glad you feel you can ask questions and get answers that will help.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Feeding them layer feed is not a problem at all with young pullets! Ours were put out with the big hens and eating layer feed at about 8 weeks and it didn’t have any bad effects! But oyster shells is probably the best choice for right now as long as you can put it out!

 

[neo71665]

I'd just put out oyster. I never give mine layer feed.

 

[aart]

Feeding them later feed is not a problem at all with young pullets! Ours were put out with the big hens and eating later feed at about 8 weeks and it didn’t have any bad effects! But oyster shells is probably the best choice for right now as long as you can put it out!

The effects are not instant.

 

[EasterChickens]

Miss Petunia laid her first egg yesterday! She is a 15 week old sapphire gem. I was surprised she was my first to lay because my research showed that breed typically doesn’t lay until 18 weeks. I was thrilled by her tiny first egg but this morning I found a soft shelled egg in the same spot. I have a flock of 17 ranging in age from 10 to 15 weeks old. I still have them on pullet grower feed and wasn’t planning on transitioning to layer feed until a few of them were laying but now that my second egg was soft shelled should I start the transition early or just get some oyster shells to put out for them? View attachment 2788982View attachment 2788983View attachment 2788985

I remember feeding mines at 17 weeks old. They never had any kidney problems or any side-effects, and now they are 1 year & 2 months old. But right now you can just feed them oyster shells or crushed egg shells because they both have a lot of calcium to help build up the shells in your chicken's egg. *I would feed them layers feed at 17-20 weeks.

 

[neo71665]

I remember feeding mines at 17 weeks old. They never had any kidney problems or any side-effects, and now they are 1 year & 2 months old. But right now you can just feed them oyster shells or crushed egg shells because they both have a lot of calcium to help build up the shells in your chicken's egg. *I would feed them layers feed at 17-20 weeks.

Kidney failure is not gonna show up at 1 year and 2 months. If anybody reading this DO NOT feed hens layer unless they are actually laying eggs. That means all of the hens are laying not just one. Blanket statements like above rarely cover equally. 17-20 weeks might be fine with one breed of bird but might shorten the lifespan of another breed. Throw a rooster in there that should never be fed layer you add another variable.