# Broken egg



## cat (Jul 13, 2012)

I have 4 six month old girls. They just started hatching and tonight I found one of their eggs was broken. It appears that the shell did not develop entirely before it was hatched. Is this normal and/or any advice?


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## doubleoakfarm (Jan 1, 2013)

Yes, perfectly normal. Looks like you might have a "shelless" egg. Is the shell part soft?


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## cat (Jul 13, 2012)

doubleoakfarm said:


> Yes, perfectly normal. Looks like you might have a "shelless" egg. Is the shell part soft?


Ok thanks. Yes the shell is soft.


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## doubleoakfarm (Jan 1, 2013)

The shell is the last part of an eggs trip through the chicken. Sometimes the part that excretes the shell misfires especially on a younger chicken. My kids live to find soft eggs.


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## robopetz (Oct 16, 2012)

Lack of calcium?


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## doubleoakfarm (Jan 1, 2013)

Lack of calcium would give you a thin shell. An egg with no shell and just the membrane is something different.


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## cat (Jul 13, 2012)

Thanks for all your replies. Hopefully it doesn't happen too often. I do mix oyster shells into their feed which should give them plenty of calcium.


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## Keith (Jun 19, 2012)

Does your flock forage?


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## cat (Jul 13, 2012)

Thy so forage in my backyard at least an hour a day...why so you ask?


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## cat (Jul 13, 2012)

My last message meant to say they do forage in my backyard at least an hour per day....why do you ask.


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## doubleoakfarm (Jan 1, 2013)

I'm curious too as to why foraging matters in this situation.


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## realsis (Jan 13, 2013)

I have read that it's normal for young females to do that Evey now and then. Especially when they are first starting to lay.


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