[Boxfanman]

My girls have been laying very well for a while now will me getting 7 eggs a day for seven hens.

Yesterday though I had my seven eggs, but one had hardly any shell, and what was there was very soft.

What could be the reason for this?

[Roughlee Handled]

It does happen every now and again with my girls.  Lack of shell or thin shells is a sign of calcium deficiency.  Do your girls have access to oyster shell? You can add limestone flower to there feed.  Also collect the used shells and I microwave them for 10mins to kill the nasties and then crush them is a pestle and mortar then put them back in there feed.

[poultrygeist]

As an occasional hiccup, it can just be down to a shock during production or a mis-timing. But better to give too much calcium than not enough. If it's offered separately, they can take it as they want.

We probably get a soft egg about once or twice a week on average from our 6.

Rob

[WhatCameFirst]

We had one the other day which was a direct result of a hiccup. They had been frightened by the big bouncy castle in next doors garden. :shock:

[Roughlee Handled]

We had one the other day which was a direct result of a hiccup. They had been frightened by the big bouncy castle in next doors garden. :shock:

Seeing "a big bouncy castle in next doors garden" would make me lay a soft one let alone a chicken.    

[smiler43]

I got our chooks at Easter, they were POL when I got them.  We had lots of soft shell or no shelled eggs on a routine basis.  I put limestone flour in the food and lots of pots of grit in the run.  Whether it was coincidence or just the fact that they have got older but (touch wood) we haven't had a dodgy egg for a few months now.  They even went to my son's friends when we went on holiday and thought that would upset them being moved around but so far everything is fine.

Also wormed them about May?June time, wonder if that could have done anything too?

[FCG]

I think you can get them time to time. Throw some extra calcium (powder, crushed oyster shell) over their feed for a week and it should right it if this turns out to be a regular thing. A last resort is liquid calcium.

[Boxfanman]

Thanks for replies. I have a 25kg sack of oyster shells which i bought

I do give them some once in a while, this was the first dodgy egg in a long while. Only picked up six today....

Think they were traumatised by me having a row with the old guy who runs the allotment.