Will this become and issue?

[LittleMissCountry]

Of my four pullets, one is laying. She has been getting more consistent in the past few days. It was about 30 hours in between eggs. Then she laid an egg Friday around 10 a.m. Yesterday (Sat), she laid at 8:00 a.m. We saw her both times.
This morning I went out at 6:30 a.m. to let them out of the coop. There was a soft shelled egg in the roosting area, like it was dropped in their sleep. It had obviously been pecked into as well. It wasn't cracked...it had a hole in it and some of the yolk hanging out.
I am guessing it was the same chicken, but even if it was another chicken that laid it, they ate some of it. Is there any way to prevent that when it happens at night?

 

[Zay]

Put a fake egg out their and the chickens eventually will learn that their isn’t a treat and they won’t want to eat it. (Chickens can have eggs but only cooked)

 

[GC-Raptor]

My 27 month olds lay an occasional egg from roost and eat it if it breaks or is a soft shell.
I also feed my 3 hens a raw egg once a week by smashing on the ground and sprinkled with seeds. They will also eat a soft shelled or thin shelled egg if it breaks in the nest. Mine don't eat the eggs with a strong shell.
If they are lacking Protein as in too many treats like a scratch or kitchen scraps. They may break a good egg.
I feed a 18% Protein feed and give them mixed seeds as a treat scattered on straw in their run daily. I also wet their feed as a treat occasionally in a bowl, they luv it. GC

 

[aart]

Of my four pullets, one is laying. She has been getting more consistent in the past few days. It was about 30 hours in between eggs. Then she laid an egg Friday around 10 a.m. Yesterday (Sat), she laid at 8:00 a.m. We saw her both times.
This morning I went out at 6:30 a.m. to let them out of the coop. There was a soft shelled egg in the roosting area, like it was dropped in their sleep. It had obviously been pecked into as well. It wasn't cracked...it had a hole in it and some of the yolk hanging out.
I am guessing it was the same chicken, but even if it was another chicken that laid it, they ate some of it. Is there any way to prevent that when it happens at night?

Nothing to worry about.
Soft shells, when they happen, are often laid off the roost...they must 'feel' different.
Not unusual with new layers.
As far as their eating them, a soft or thin shelled egg is fair game for eating, IMO.
It rarely leads to 'egg eating', just clean them up as soon as possible.
The fact that it wasn't actually eaten is good news.
It may have been laid by the one.....or another has started up.
Time for a butt check!

 

[LittleMissCountry]

Nothing to worry about.
Soft shells, when they happen, are often laid off the roost...they must 'feel' different.
Not unusual with new layers.
As far as their eating them, a soft or thin shelled egg is fair game for eating, IMO.
It rarely leads to 'egg eating', just clean them up as soon as possible.
The fact that it wasn't actually eaten is good news.
It may have been laid by the one.....or another has started up.
Time for a butt check!

Thanks...I don't want to have the egg eating start! I checked and I think she is still the only one laying, if I am checking correctly (I used your thread with the how-to). The other black sex link is close...she started squatting and scratching around in the nesting box.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

T

Put a fake egg out their and the chickens eventually will learn that their isn’t a treat and they won’t want to eat it. (Chickens can have eggs but only cooked)

There are fake eggs in the nesting box right now, since another one is close to laying.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

My 27 month olds lay an occasional egg from roost and eat it if it breaks or is a soft shell.
I also feed my 3 hens a raw egg once a week by smashing on the ground and sprinkled with seeds. They will also eat a soft shelled or thin shelled egg if it breaks in the nest. Mine don't eat the eggs with a strong shell.
If they are lacking Protein as in too many treats like a scratch or kitchen scraps. They may break a good egg.
I feed a 18% Protein feed and give them mixed seeds as a treat scattered on straw in their run daily. I also wet their feed as a treat occasionally in a bowl, they luv it. GC

Good to know it is normal occasionally. This is the second time she has laid from the roost, but the first time one of them pecked a hole in it. I am feeding them Purina Starter/grower, with free choice oyster shell available in a separate dish, so they have plenty of protein and calcium. They also get to free range several hours a day and eat bugs and plants.