[hillbilly]

First an apology  for asking so many questions! And a 'thank you'! You are massively helpful, reassuring and downright fun to know!  .

I have found two unformed eggs now in the same corner of the coop in the early mornings. One on Saturday and another today. They looked like a peice of thin rubber (! yes, a bit like one of those  !) and a pool of albumen. The first one had a bit of yolk around but there wasn't any yolk today.
We moved them into their new run on Thursday which was very stressful for them in all this wind. Do you think this could be the cause? And do you think it will just come right or should I try and give her something?

They're eating lots of pellets made into mash with hot water and I've been mixing a little crushed eggshell in each day. They also have plenty of greens (never thought I'd say thank goodness for ground elder!) and mixed grit freely available. I'm giving four small handfuls of mixed corn each afternoon (six chickens).
These are ex batts now about four weeks out of the gulag (and looking rather fine, I must say!)

[Foxy]

For a couple of weeks cut out the mixed corn, add a teaspoon of poultry spice with a teaspoon of cod liver oil mixed in to their pellets. This will ensure they are having the correct nutrients and minerals in order to build up their calcium levels.

It is not unusual for tired old ex-batts to lay a few odd ones when you first get them, it will take a good while for them to settle down. It is important however, to be strict with their diet and resist giving treats at this stage

[hillbilly]

Thank you, Foxy, I'll do all that. I assume greens dont count as treats? You think no need for calcium tabs?

[Foxy]

Thank you, Foxy, I'll do all that. I assume greens dont count as treats? You think no need for calcium tabs?

Greens are fine, keeps them busy too, specially good if you can hang up a cabbage for them to peck at!
Personally at this stage I wouldn't use calcium tablets but would focus on giving them a balanced and consistent diet. Calcium I would reserve for emergency use eg egg bound hens.
With exbatts it could be a few things that has prompted the soft eggs,mostly due to low calcium blood levels, stress and the moult. If the problem does not rectify within a few weeks to a month( depending on overall condition-) then she may have permanent problem simply caused by egg laying fatigue and there wont be much you can do.

[hillbilly]

Thanks again. Much reassured  .

[SMD66]

you say you mix pellets with water to make mash, do they have this all day? 

I would just make dry pellets available ALL the time and like foxy said, cut out the corn for a while to ensure they are getting plenty of pellets which have lots of good nutrients in them to enable them to be healthy and lay eggs.

Oyster shell is good for egg shell formation, give it seperate to the food though, ie, not mixed in .

good luck 

[hillbilly]

The dry pellets (formulated for ex batts) are there all the time and I take the mash up in the morning. It's usually all gone by early afternoon.

They're also having a weak dose of 'Life-guard' supplement in their water. I bought poultry spice today. Is it OK to give this as well as the Life-guard? They seem to have mostly different ingredients but I dont want to overdose them on vitamins!!

The girls generally seem fine and healthy though four are very friendly and the other two run like hell if I go near them. One of these is the one I think layed the unformed eggs. She's definately eating though perhaps not as much as the others as she is at the bottom of the pecking order and gets to the food last. There are two of each type of feeder so she has a good chance at both pellets and mash. She never bothered with the corn as she has a 'shovel beak' and couldn't pick it up off the floor.

Sorry to go on a bit...hope this isn't too much information!

[Foxy]

Yes you can use them both together. Poultry spice has some useful minerals that help a bird through the moult as well as tuning up egg laying!
Life guard is a good all round herbal tonic