Soft Shelled eggs

[Clareb]

One of our hens that just started laying in the last couple of weeks is laying shells that have very thin shells. We have ground oyster shells available separately to the entire flock. Any suggestions on what else to do? I have found 4 of these eggs so far, not sure if they are all from the same hen, but I am suspecting they are...

 

[Kelsie2290]

Occasional thin, soft or shell-less eggs are usually just a glitch in the egg laying system and they are especially common in new layers with immature shell glands or in birds just coming back into lay as as they get into gear. It is not necessarily related to a lack of calcium as such, it can be related to the bird's ability to use calcium or a defective shell gland. In new layers I wouldn't really worry about the occasional one. If it is just one bird doing it continuously, I would be inclined to think it is a problem specific to her (shell gland), and probably not diet/ disease/ disturbances which you might want to check into if you have multiple hens doing it in an older flock. There is a list of causes on The Poultry Site ... http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

 

[CdnMatt]

I have the same issue two of my birds just started laying. Out of the 3 eggs we have got from one each one was soft. But today's was a little better I thought. I just boosted up the oyster shells and layer feed. Hopefully it helps.