[marygall]

I've got three Isa Browns - ex commercial layers, free range from the Isle of Seil - and I've had them since February. They've laid virtually every day since they came here and they seem happy enough. I give them layer pellets and barley and kitchen scraps and they get out into the garden for a few hours every day. I've been baking egg shells and feeding this as well and the eggs have always been beautiful until recently...
This week I've had four soft eggs - two this morning, which means it's not just one of the girls affected - what's happening?
I bought some crushed oyster shells to give them but they seem unimpressed.
It has been dreadful weather here for the last few days - rain and wind, could this have affected them?
Any ideas anyone?
Regards,
Mary

Update - another egg this evening but lovely and hard as usual - this means that it's just one of the girls affected, I think - but that she layed two soft shelled eggs this morning. I opened one and gave it to the cat, it looked completely normal, just shell free.
All three continue to look well and scratch about the garden in spite of the awful weather.

[Roughlee Handled]

try limestone flour mixed in with there feed. Its one sure way of giving them the calcium that they need. Do they have access to grass?
You could try them on this feed
"The Ex-Bats Range are the superior quality feeds for all ex-battery hens....."
http://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/Products/ExBattery/default.aspx

[caralouise1974]

try limestone flour mixed in with there feed. Its one sure way of giving them the calcium that they need. Do they have access to grass?
You could try them on this feed
"The Ex-Bats Range are the superior quality feeds for all ex-battery hens....."
http://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/Products/ExBattery/default.aspx

We've just put our girls onto this range of feed (they're not ex batts, but we wanted to give them a superior feed) and they absolutely love it!

I also hear that brazil nuts are very good sources of calcium and certainly our ladies love them, crushed and mixed with a few sunflower and pumpkin seeds (both for the extra protein and natural worming properties). The lucky things!

[treacleminer]

Yes. the weather could have affected them.  Katie Thear - starting with chickens - book says she often gets a soft shelled egg after the hens have has a soaking.
Hopefully will return to normal for you soon, although depending on how old they were when you got them the egg quantity & quality may start to drop as they lay so many so fast when young.
Extra calcium supplements suggested by everyone should help.

[compostqueen]

remember to keep the oyster shell grit available to them at all times 

[marygall]

Thanks very much for the information - they do have access to grass and I do leave the oyster shells out for them too. I've just ordered the feed you guys have reccommended online - they don't seem to be particularly interested in the layer pellets I've got them on just now, so I'll be interested to see how these do.
I've not had any more soft shells but one of the girls has stopped laying - I'm assuming it's the one that was producing soft shells. All three are still happily scratching about in the garden and coming to the kitchen door every time it opens in case there's something worth eating, so I'm not too worried.
They do seem to have little power struggles though - I wondered if three was a bad number and I should get some more?