[Henlady]

I got my four hens six weeks ago and they are now just 21 weeks old.  One has been laying for the last week and this morning I found an egg that looked like a slice had been taken out of it and the slice bit was like jelly I then got 2 more eggs and tonight when we were putting them to bed there was a totally soft shelled egg on the floor of the coop.  It was so fragile it broke when I picked it up.

They have all had access to grit and layers pellets and for the last 4 weeks have been free range in the garden.  Please tell me this is just because she is new at laying it was so gross to have to pick up.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I've had a couple of girls that started by laying soft shells and then settled down with no further problems. That being said, I have had 1 girl who never laid anything BUT soft shells.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things but if it continues it might be worth trying limestone flour or even calcium solution.

Wouldn't worry just yet

[joyfull]

Like Kate said it can happen when they just start laying, do they have access to oyster shell as well as grit all day? Grit is to help them grind their feed (as they have no teeth) and oyster shell (or washed, baked and then crushed egg shells) is for the calcium they need to help them produce shells  .

[CaCa and Doris]

Hi! We had this problem with one of our girls initially too. I made sure they had access not just to grit but to decent quality grit containing calcium content too (oyster shell), making sure the particles weren't too big. I bought some Davinova C liquid supplement to put in their water and we haven't had a soft shell since. Good luck!

[Henlady]

I have just checked and what I have is oyster shell, do I need grit as well? 

They do have the garden with a wide variety surfaces to root around in and I know they pick at the old bricks.  The other two that are laying seem to be getting the right stuff and the fourth is still slightly smaller than the rest and her comb isn't as red so I don't think she is laying yet, and I've not seen her near the coop during the day.

[joyfull]

free ranging birds usually do find enough grit to satisfy their needs (mine eat our driveway - so I occasionally sprinkle grit on their to replace what they eat  ).

[Henlady]

I had another on the floor of the coop this morning.  When they harden up is she likely to move to the boxes or carry on laying from the perch?  I'm assuming that as they are soft she probably doesn't realise, or am I wrong?

[Henlady]

I saw her lay one this afternoon.  When I got home she was missing and even when I rattled the corn box she didn't appear so I hunted round the garden then she appeared but looked very uneasy wasn't interested in the corn treats and wandered off.  She would walk a few paces and then stop and I was getting worried about her then she did this penguin impersonation and laid a semi soft egg on the patio.  Next thing she came running over for some corn.  So how do I teach her to use the next box?

[joyfull]

place either a golf ball or a pot/plastic/rubber egg in the nest box to give her the idea