Soft Shells

[aandemom]

I have a bit of a dilemma. My chickens are 18 months old and have been laying perfect eggs since they started laying. They are on Purina Layena Plus and oyster shell. Starting about a week ago, one of them, not sure which one, has started laying eggs with soft spots and possibly no shell at all. Have found eggs covered in what I assume is yolk. What could be going on?

 

[PolkaDot77]

Soft shells will happen usually as the result of calcium deficiency. Make sure to provide oyster shell in their coop for them to pack at freely. Goodluck!

 

[farmgirl02]

Soft shells occur when chickens do not have enough calcium. Purina Layena Plus is great,by the way. Same kind that I use! Stick with it.

Keep a fresh supply of oyster grit inside their coop, along with a fresh supply of laying pellets, so they can eat as much as they want. Vitamins are also great, too. You might be spoiling them too much on scratch so that they do not eat their laying mash. I suggest taking them off corn for a little while. Good luck!

 

[Kelsie2290]

How often has this happened? Are any of your girls coming back into lay after a molt? Soft or shell-less eggs can be just a glitch in the egg laying system as it gets into gear with the egg moving through the system too fast. 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. If it is just one bird, I would be inclined to think it is a problem specific to her, and probably not diet/ disease/ disturbances. There is a list of causes on The Poultry Site ...
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

 

[aandemom]

This is a first for this problem and they are just coming out of a molt. I think it is just one hen. They all seem fine. Not one is acting in any way other than normal. It's been a couple of days since the last episode so hopefully it's just an anomaly.