Two soft shelled eggs in one day from the same hen

[fiddlebanshee]

She's a welsumer and just starting to lay at almost 8 months. She's laid one soft shelled, then a normal hard shelled one and yesterday 2 soft shelled eggs. I wonder if this is just a fluke and nothing to worry about or if there is something more going on. She's almost at the bottom of the pecking order of our 14 hens and the last to start laying. All 4 eggs from her have been under the roosts, and not in the nesting boxes.

I hope she figures it out soon. I wants these nice dark brown wellie eggs where they belong and with shell.

 

[terryg]

Are you positive they are both from her? One soft or small egg at the beginning of laying is okay, but I think your hen has a problem. If chickens are stressed they don't spend enough time in the nesting box and will lay thinner shelled eggs. (This happens in commercial facilities and has been well-studied.) I would worry that she is not going in the nesting boxes to lay and not able to create and produce the eggs in a healthy way. Do you have enough nesting boxes? Are they in a moderately dark area? One thing to do would be to close the other hens out of the coop long enough for her to have a couple of hours to herself in there and see if things improve.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Yes, that's what I was thinking too. That she was bullied out of the nest boxes since she's low on the pecking order and she'd hold up the egg until she was on the roost and then laid it overnight, messing up the regular schedule of egg production. I have 4 spots where the 14 can go lay (2 places each in 2 cabinets, but I was thinking of getting maybe 2 more pre-built boxes to ease the traffic congestion somewhat. The nests are in the darkest spot. The other welsumer would sit on the nest for 2 hours and then step off and lay her egg in the run 5 minutes later a couple of times in a row, but she seems to have chosen the nest box now.

I'm fairly sure it is the same hen that laid the two soft shelled eggs. One was very small, the other fully formed, but w/o shell. We'll see what happens today. Earliest i can do anything in terms of locking her up in the coop by herself is Friday, so we'll monitor till then. At least the eggs are coming out, and she's not egg bound.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

No egg on the poopshelf today, with or without shell. Maybe she's taking a break since there were 2 yesterday. I have a suspicion though that one of the darker eggs in the nest may be hers it's not as dark as the other two wellie eggs so I'm not sure. I got only 10 out of 14 so I have no way of knowing if she laid or not. We'll keep the good thought that she actually laid in the nestbox today.

 

[SixChickFlock]

Hello... I searched for this topic.

A few weeks ago I adopted a hen found wandering the neighborhood. Yeah... Pretty common in Chicago. We guessed she's older... Maybe 6-8 years. A week after I found 1 egg out in the yard. It was a different shade than what I usually get. A few days later another one was in one of the regular nests. Same color. Yesterday she laid a soft shelled egg in a nest with two other eggs. This morning when I let the girls out, there were two softer shelled eggs in the straw below where Wanda was roosting by herself. Of the three, you can tell that each one is a little less developed. Because egg production has been slow (new hen, 2 broodies, it's been hot) I have been very good about checking the coop (and yard) for hidden eggs... I am certain all three were laid in one day by this new probably older hen.

Is there anything I should be looking for?

Thanks!

 

[lazy gardener]

Hello... I searched for this topic.

A few weeks ago I adopted a hen found wandering the neighborhood. Yeah... Pretty common in Chicago. We guessed she's older... Maybe 6-8 years. A week after I found 1 egg out in the yard. It was a different shade than what I usually get. A few days later another one was in one of the regular nests. Same color. Yesterday she laid a soft shelled egg in a nest with two other eggs. This morning when I let the girls out, there were two softer shelled eggs in the straw below where Wanda was roosting by herself. Of the three, you can tell that each one is a little less developed. Because egg production has been slow (new hen, 2 broodies, it's been hot) I have been very good about checking the coop (and yard) for hidden eggs... I am certain all three were laid in one day by this new probably older hen.

Is there anything I should be looking for?

Thanks!

Look for a decline in her behavior: signs that she is not feeling well. Often a hen with such issues is also laying internally. If she starts acting poorly, I'd seriously consider culling her.

To OP: I had a home bred black sex link pullet that laid 2 rubber eggs, and a normal egg in a single 24 hour period. I know, b/c I witnessed the 2 rubber eggs, and at that time her eggs were distinct from the other brown egg layer.

 

[SixChickFlock]

Lazy Gardener,

She seems really healthy and is laying 3-4 times a week with an occasional thin shell. As she gets used to the flock, her bossy personality is thriving! She is also putting on weight. She was pretty big when I found her and she seems to be getting bigger.

I will keep a sharp eye on her, and all the rest. I lost an internal egg layer early this year, I think I know what to look for now.

Thanks for your advice!