[chicklit]

Hello!!! It's good to be here for help. I've read alot about new layers and soft shells etc, but is this something that happens as the hens start to lay? All my hens were pol when I got them the day before yesterday. I've had one perfect small egg and one big one with a soft shell. It was perfect inside, though. They are on layers pellets and oyster shell and grit. Thanks so much, you all seem so knowledgeable, I've got alot to learn!!

[compostqueen]

make sure it is deffo oyster shell. With that and your layers pellets they should do well and lay good strong shelled eggs. You might have the occasional blip, but if you make sure the oyster shell is kept topped up and they can get at it whenever they want you should be ok.  If you give treats then do so sparingly

[Foxy]

sounds like as you've got a small egg -that they have just come into lay, so it is not unusual to have blips in laying early on, just their laying mechanisms getting the hang of it. It is fairly important as compost queen posted, to make sure that they have continual ab lib access to good quality oyster shell and that their diet at this time should be mainly layers pellets, avoid too many treats or mixed corn and they have have their fill of layers in the morning to ensure they dont fill up on treats instead. A small handlful of mixed corn in the evening every few days is fine at this time of year, plus veggies every couple of days if they haven't access to grass.

[mikeschooks]

Being a newby, I asked for grit a few days ago as the pellets contained none. Apart from the thinner oyster shell, there  are also larger pieces (not oyster?). I take it the larger pieces will be fine, I keep thinking they will choke on the larger pieces??

[Aunt Sally]

That's grit and they need it too. 

It passes through with the food to the chickens gizzard where they use it to grind up their food.