Transparent and soft eggs

[Martin12]

Suddenly this afternoon had an egg that was transparent and very soft. No eggs have been like this before so I'm very confused. They are fed grower and offered oyster shells freely. Although I have never seen any of them touch the oyster shells since we switched the feed to strictly grower so I figure it's a calcium dificiency. But what can I do if they won't eat the oyster shells? I was always told they know what they need and will eat them themselves.

 

[Blooie]

Your information is correct. They'll eat oyster shell as they need it and as long as they have a good diet with lots of fresh water available at all times you're good. If you have some extra eggs that are getting a little on the older side, you can also hard boil them and chop them up shells and all. Mine love that once a week. If you aren't feeding a mixed flock (roosters and chicks in with the adults) I'd also switch them to layer pellets or crumbles. More calcium in that than in grower. I've heard that veggies like Kale also contain some calcium. Mine go nuts over fresh Kale, although I'm just giving that as a treat once in awhile and not for any specific purpose like laying.

Rubber eggs can happen at any time. I had one pullet who actually laid two in one day, within just a few hours of each other. I physically watched her lay them both. Soft shelled eggs are actually less comfortable for them to pass. But they do happen. Even reliable layers can suddenly drop a shell-less or rubber egg out of the blue, then go back to normal after that. I still get one every once in a rare while. You aren't necessarily doing a darn thing wrong - just a hitch in the assembly line.

 

[Martin12]

Li am feeding s mixed flock of roosters and some that aren't laying yet that's why I have them on grower with shells. But like I said none of them ever eat the shells. For the longest time I fed them a mix of laying pellets, whole corn, and scratch but I was informed by people on here that was a poor diet and to give them grower and shells.

 

[Blooie]

Yep grower or All Flock Maintenance diet are indeed best for a mixed flock. I offer oyster shell free choice in a container. Takes them forever to go through it - they don't gorge on it but rather take a few nibbles every once in awhile. I have 28 girls out there and only need to add oyster shell to the container about once a month. So it won't disappear fast like their food does, and just because you don't see them eating it doesn't mean they aren't. I still think you're fine - a rubber egg every once in a while is no cause for alarm unless it happens over and over and over again. Good luck!

 

[Martin12]

Ok ty very much for the help. Maybe a crazy question but is the egg still alright to eat if it's soft like that? I don't want to waste it if it's still good.

 

[Blooie]

I never did. I just scrambled them up and gave them back to the chickens. If an egg is cooked, it's not identifiable to them as an egg, even when I do the chopped hard boiled ones with the shell, so it's not going to lead to egg eating behaviors.