Squishy Egg Mystery

[minou33]

My 5 hens are 20 weeks and only one has just started to lay. I almost always catch her laying too since I'm home all day and she spends a lot of time in the box. Her eggs have all been perfect, small, but with a nice hard shell. She is a New Hampshire Red.

But twice now, I have found these strange smaller squishy eggs. They always happen on days that she has laid and always after the first egg which usually comes late in the day anyway.

1. How likely is it that she is laying two eggs a day? (t's possible, but unlikely that I may have another layer since most of my other girls are supposed to be colored layers and only my cream legbar is squatting and showing any interest in the boxes)

2. Should I be concerned about the second eggs being squishy? I am still feeding grower/all flock feed to the entire flock with oyster shells free choice since I believe I only have one bird laying. I have been slowly transitioning them to layer feed with a mix of about 25% layer. But I have heard from other chicken keepers that they keep mixed flocks on all flock feed forever and have never had any issues with soft shells.

 

[Peppercorngal]

My 5 hens are 20 weeks and only one has just started to lay. I almost always catch her laying too since I'm home all day and she spends a lot of time in the box. Her eggs have all been perfect, small, but with a nice hard shell. She is a New Hampshire Red.

But twice now, I have found these strange smaller squishy eggs. They always happen on days that she has laid and always after the first egg which usually comes late in the day anyway.

1. How likely is it that she is laying two eggs a day? (t's possible, but unlikely that I may have another layer since most of my other girls are supposed to be colored layers and only my cream legbar is squatting and showing any interest in the boxes)

2. Should I be concerned about the second eggs being squishy? I am still feeding grower/all flock feed to the entire flock with oyster shells free choice since I believe I only have one bird laying. I have been slowly transitioning them to layer feed with a mix of about 25% layer. But I have heard from other chicken keepers that they keep mixed flocks on all flock feed forever and have never had any issues with soft shells.

It is very unlikely that the hen you know is laying lays more than one egg. It's another girl that is doing that. What do you mean by squishy? The shell is soft? Or no shell at all? Young brand new layers have hiccups in this lay at first until their reproductive system gets fully in gear. Can you tell by the color of egg whose it may be? I've gotten shell less eggs a couple of times. Yes, you should have oyster shell in a separate dish for them. I feed all flock because I love my rooster and want him to be healthy, I also have varied ages of chickens and they all do very well on this feed. Do you have a photo of this squishy egg? This is a photo of my perfect shell less egg! It was fertile too, so odd. Only happened twice.

 

[minou33]

These are the two "squishy" eggs with a light brown shell.

I have two New Hampshire Reds (only one is laying that I'm aware of), two Cream Legbars, and one Black Copper Maran.

Both Legbars are developed (comb/wattles are red) but only one is squatting and has been visiting the nesting box. None of the other girls are are showing any signs that they are ready to lay.