Strange Egg Incident - need help

[weloveourchicks]

I've seen post about shell-less eggs but up until now what few chickens that have started laying have been laying normal eggs. Saturday my son went to check the boxes and in one box was just the yolk of an egg - no shell or even pieces of a shell. We cleaned it up and then later while cleaning up around the yard found what looked like a egg membrane. Is this what a shell-less egg is? or is something wrong with one of the hens?

- - Susan

 

[ginasmarans]

Sometimes it happens no matter what,but you may want to feed oyster shells. Personally,I feed D.E. and rarely have a soft shelled egg.

 

[eggzettera]

I keep this site bookmarked for issues like this http://www.thepoultrysite.com/ourbooks/1/egg-quality-handbook/ I have never experienced it though. What are you feeding them?

 

[weloveourchicks]

Thanks -

I am feeding them scratch, layer and egg shells. Oyster shells are really expensive around here so I've been just doing egg shells but if I get another egg like this I'll have to just break down and buy some

We have 14 hens that are all around 8 months old but been getting 3 eggs aday so I really don't know which ones are laying.

Susan

 

[weloveourchicks]

By the way what a great link you sent - I am adding to my favorites!! Thanks again!!!

 

[what was i thinking]

are they eating the eggs? if you are giving them eggs shells as part of the food. i had some soft eggs and didn't know it because they were on the floor and there was very little trace until i found a chicken eating the membrane.

 

[ChickenToes]

Sometimes that can happen when hens first begin laying. It's almost like they don't have all the glitches out of their systems yet, even if you are feeding them egg shells or oyster shells.

When mine first began laying, we got 1 soft-shelled egg, and 2 with no shells at all, just the membrane. We got all 3 weird eggs in the same month. Now all of our eggs are fine.

 

[weloveourchicks]

I do give them egg shells however bake them first - someone on this site had suggested that so they don't develop a taste for their eggs.

thanks for all the input guys, I am chalking this up to a hen that is just "new" at laying. With winter coming we don't look to get alot from them anyhow but by spring we should be sit.

I'd noticed one of our roosters was very "active" Sunday while free ranging - he wouldn't give the poor hens a rest. I didn't know if that could cause any damage to the hens?