# Soft Egg



## chickenlady84 (Mar 20, 2013)

We reciently found an egg in the hen house that was soft. We have several Young hens that should be old enough to start laying. Is that what we found one of our hens First eggs?? we have not found any eggs sence then.


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

It could be. Soft shelled eggs happen from time to time, even hens that are having their every nutritional need met. 

What breed(s) are your hens and what age? Different breeds start at different ages and individual birds within the same breed can have a wide range of starting ages.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Soft shells happen. I would just make sure they have enough calcium, if they do then it could just be a fluke.


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## chickadee3 (Apr 14, 2013)

How do I give them enough calcium, Apyl? I've got a soft shell layer too! X


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

chickadee3 said:


> How do I give them enough calcium, Apyl? I've got a soft shell layer too! X


 You can buy oyster shell (for calcium) in small manageable bags or in 50# bags at most feedstores. Though I have a lot of birds I prefer to pay the higher price for the smaller, more manageable bags. 
I mounted a small rabbit feeder to the wall in each of my coops to use as oyster shell dispensers. The birds that need it will eat it.


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## chickadee3 (Apr 14, 2013)

Thanks! Had two today from my other girls - one soft one hard. Have them the oyster shell and they wolfed it, so they clearly needed it!


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

Yes, without the oyster shell their bodies have to rob their own stores of calcium to make hard shells. Oyster shell is cheap enough, I like the added assurance of knowing they are getting enough for their bodies and for hard shells. 
There are other causes, though less common, for soft shelled eggs, so let us know if they continue.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

chickadee3 said:


> How do I give them enough calcium, Apyl? I've got a soft shell layer too! X


I don't provide oyster shells. I just throw egg shells out into the yard and the hens eat them for calcium.


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## chickadee3 (Apr 14, 2013)

I have started doing that now they are laying - i think it was just as they are new layers - all lovely hard egg shells now! Thank you, guys - fantastic advice once again! X


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## morgan2019 (Aug 4, 2013)

*feed them this*

feed them crushed ouster shells it will harden their eggs


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## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

Apyl said:


> I don't provide oyster shells. I just throw egg shells out into the yard and the hens eat them for calcium.


That is what I do, my dad use to do it years ago, he said it was the natural way to do it. Oyster shells come from the ocean like he said 100's of years ago chickens were eating egg shells not oyster shells so why change it now. I think people buy way to much to keep chickens "healthy".


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

100's of years ago chickens didn't lay 200+ eggs per year.100's of years ago there was no internet>


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

It might be worth noting that "greens" (like weeds and grass and whatnot) are also often high in calcium. In fact the darker green something is the more calcium it usually has. So a chicken with access to these things may be getting quite a nice dose to begin with. Whether or not that is enough to sustain laying that many eggs a year... I don't know. I still have mine of layer pellets...


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

There isn't anywhere near enough calcium in greens.


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## Cockadoodledoo (Jan 28, 2016)

WeeLittleChicken said:


> It might be worth noting that "greens" (like weeds and grass and whatnot) are also often high in calcium. In fact the darker green something is the more calcium it usually has. So a chicken with access to these things may be getting quite a nice dose to begin with. Whether or not that is enough to sustain laying that many eggs a year... I don't know. I still have mine of layer pellets...


YES!!! My chickens eat lots of greens. Not enough to sustain shell development on their own... but its a different source and variety is great. I have mine on layer feed and greens and they do great. I also cook the shells and feed them back.


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## Cockadoodledoo (Jan 28, 2016)

I heard that some hybrid layers can lay a normal egg early morning and then a soft shell egg later that night. They produce two eggs, but the second doesn't have enough time to get shelled.


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## jstringerrn75 (Oct 24, 2015)

What other causes are there for producing soft shells? Would molting be a reason? My girls are in their first heavy molt and someone(s) have produced 3 soft shells in the last couple weeks. Thank you!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yes, molting can throw them for a loop and cause soft shells. I would expect them to stop laying now.


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## jstringerrn75 (Oct 24, 2015)

Thanks Robin. I am definitely getting fewer eggs. Some have finished molting. I still have one yet to molt.


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## Ngt (Dec 31, 2016)

I had that happen and was told oyster shells. Pretty much what everyone else is saying. It works. Never tried feeding them egg shells, but I'm really new at all of this.


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## Valentine (Dec 4, 2016)

I grind my eggshells in my thermomix into a fine substance and mix it into their feed. I also have grit for them in a seperate container that they eat. Sometimes I'm still getting very thin egg shell and other times no shell.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If you're only feeding back their shells it might not be enough for them to form the shells. Or they might need a hit of Vitamin D3 if they're not out in the sun enough.


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

Particle size matters.The problem with eggshells is that they are too finely ground and too quickly absorbed.
View attachment 21710


http://www.isapoultry.com/~/media/F...ition/Calcium nutriton and particles size.pdf


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

I feed the shells back to the chickens just crushed in my hand. I also keep oyster shells out, because I am feeding All Flock for extra protein until we get past molting.


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## lem13 (Dec 15, 2015)

My Wyandottes first egg had the shell missing. Was just the membrane and was like a bouncy ball. My feed has 11% calcium so getting enough. The second egg was like normal so wouldn't worry if got young hens


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## Nm156 (May 16, 2015)

I'm still baffed at that 11% calcium.


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## lem13 (Dec 15, 2015)

They're all similar here, it is to much as to see white spot on the poo I pic up so would imagine that's the excess


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## lem13 (Dec 15, 2015)

The food comes with a percentage of oyster shell and grit in btw so I don't have to buy separate


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