[SurreyLass]

I have two girls, who I bought at point of lay 4 months ago. Within a few weeks, they were both laying regular as clockwork, an egg a day each, lovely brown eggs.

This morning, when I opened them up, there were 2 eggs already in the hen house - one small pale coloured egg, and another a little bigger, but also pale, and when I picked it up I discovered it was soft shelled.

Milly, boss chicken, went in and laid as normal about 9am, a nice brown egg, so I guessed it was Henrietta........ tonight, about half an hour before bed just as it was starting to get a bit dark, I went out and Henrietta was behaving very strangely - she was a bit puffed up, tail down, and rooted to the spot. Nothing could coax her over to me, she looked very concentrated. When it got properly dark and Milly had gone to bed, slowly she walked to bed. All day she has been absolutely fine - eating, drinking, running about doing chicken-y things, not a thing to make me think anything was up.

Is she ok?

Why the 2 eggs this morning, and what about the paleness?

They eat layers pellets, and sadly, dont free-range. They have the odd treat, which is normally a handful of corn early evening, or a bit of leftover rice, nothing much, and not every night.

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks - worried of Woking!

[ANHBUC]

Sometimes when they have double yolks they produce one egg.  Other times there are two eggs produced at the same time.  Their system cannot take this and usually they end up with soft shelled eggs. 

One of our bovan goldlines does this and she is a bit low when it happens but is fine when she has laid a normal egg again.  Sometimes they lay soft shelled eggs for a couple of days.  Just keep an eye on her and let the forum know if you have any further concerns.

[SurreyLass]

She waddled in to bed last night, and this morning there were 2 soft shelled eggs awaiting me - not in the usual laying place, but on the opposite side, one small and one normal size, though not as pale as yesterday. They were cold when I got them, so I think she might have laid them during the night again. This morning she came hurtling out for food, but has since been in and out of the house several times - she has been in there for a while. She was running up and down as normal though when she was out, and has a nice red comb and clear eyes.

Hope she is ok - my little boy (she is apparently his chicken, despite them being my Mother Day present!) got very upset at the soft shell eggs this morning.

[ANHBUC]

I think it puts them out of balance for a while.  Bossy Boots our hen which lays soft shelled sometimes instead of double yolkers does the same.  She is in and out as if she thinks she is going to lay another egg.  Make sure you have a supply of oyster shell for them to peck at add lib and cut out the treats until she is laying normally.  It is best not to give them too many treats as the layers pellets have all their dietry needs.

I believe you can still use the soft shelled eggs if you manage to collect them without breaking and use them asap.

Hope she is back to normal soon. 

[SurreyLass]

Thanks for your reply.
So far this evening, she isnt behaving like last night - we will see in the morning I guess!
She has been fine all day, pecking about!
Thanks again

[ginaclements]

we had our first and so far only soft shelled egg on thursday. same as you i found it cold early in the morning. i discovered which lady it was and later that day she layed a small, deformed egg. she was fine in herself, eating, drinking normally and has layed perfectly normal eggs yesterday and today.

[SurreyLass]

She did leave anything for me in the house when I went to open them up this morning, and came racing out for her breakfast (went to bed as normal last night too). She laid about 10.00am, a nice big double yoker, one big egg with a proper shell - think her little system must just have got a bit out of kilter. Just weird, 2 night time lays of 2 soft shell eggs both times. I was so relieved to see a proper shell this morning!

[ginaclements]

Maybe it was just a blip.
Glad she's back to normal xxx
 

[ANHBUC]

Same as Bossy Boots does.  Wish she wouldn't lay double yolkers but nothing you can do about it.  She is looking a bit droopy tonight so no doubt she will lay 2 soft shelled eggs overnight.