Sudden soft egg layer in AZ

[SunshineChicks]

Hi there - our chickens have recently started to lay eggs and I just walked outside to watch one of the hens lay a soft egg which was so soft it was basically liquid and all the chickens started to devour it - to my horror - I swatted them off and turned the hose onto the chickens. It has been around 100-107 here. Any suggestions? They have water and shade throughout the day. Does this mean they will try and eat all their eggs? Up till now they have been protective of their eggs and laying them in shady spots. HELP!

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

There are a few things that can cause this,
1st: Calcium deficiency, If they don't already have it, try adding oyster shells to their diet. It can be fed free choice and the hens will only eat as much as she needs.

2nd: Stress. This can be caused by a great number of things. Anything from being chased by children, dogs, persistant roosters to the not so obvious like extreme heat, which I suspect may be the case with your chickens.Try to keep them as cool as possible. Just because they have water doesn't mean they will drink it. Some birds will absolutely refuse to drink warm water and some owners have to resort to providing cool water throughout the day.

3rd: Vitamin D deficiency. If your birds are ranging outside this really shouldn't be a problem,, but you never know.

4th: New layers or old hens,, don't think these apply to you.

5th: And probably the scariest,, can be caused by Newcastle disease or infectious bronchitis. But don't go rushing off to the vet just yet,, most likely it is being caused by one or both of the first two

 

[SunshineChicks]

They are new layers so I think from what you are saying that it is a combination of the heat that has recently increased and that they are new to the egg laying process - again I think this was possibly the first soft egg that happened but I am not here all day. I try and give them ice cubes with frozen fruit during the day to encourage them to drink the cold water and cool themselves down. If there are any other suggestions let me know. The hens are completely free range as well....

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

New pullets just starting to lay can take a bit to get their whole process synced and running right, so yes I think you are doing about as best as anybody can Keep up what you are doing and the symptoms should go away. Only if they persist would I begin to worry.
As for the egg eating,, I really wouldn't worry too much,, hens will naturally gobble eggs if they break open. If this happens occasionaly it generally won't turn them into an egg eater.
Good luck