[F1schuey]

Last week one of my girls layed an egg outside the laying box....and it was broken, after that everything was fine, yesterday another egg was layed in the enclosure and again it was broken and very thin.  Today the egg was in the laying/nesting (whatever its called) box but was very thin and shell was broken although membraine wasn't.  They are fed on layer pellets, corn, dried mealworms, Cooked leftover sunday veg. Some bread. Sweetcorn as a treat. Water fresh. Cider in it once per month for one week.  Grit/oyster shell available constantly. 

Is it the diet or is it common... any help please.... worried about my girlie!

[bantam novice]

Hello F1shuey,
 
I am not that experienced and I'm sure someone more experienced will be along to advise you too.  From what I have read on this forum and experienced with my hens the odd "softee" is nothing to worry about.  Sometimes the egg-laying mechanism gets out of synch.

You may want to check your hen's vent to see if anything is staying inside her.  Is your hen poohing, eating and drinking OK?

How is she behaving.  Is she as active as usual?

Does she have a temperature?  You can take this by feeling under her wing and under the wing of one of your other girls to see if she feels any hotter.

In the meantime good luck!

[joyfull]

cut out all treats and just feed layers pellets, also always have oyster shell available at all times.
Is it an elderly hen laying the soft shells?

[F1schuey]

Mine are constantly digging and eat worms etc.... are they ok to be out freerange??? One seems completely normal but Florence does seem alittle subdued.  I picked her up tonight and completely checked her for red mite and lice.... all seems clear there.  Her comb is still bright red, she normally makes a run for me when I go out, but not today.  I've scrubbed all water holes and ensured completely fresh and clean.

I will confine them to layer pellets for the rest of the week.  Fingers crossed.  They have nurmerous tubs of grit with Oyster shell in it  everywhere.

[joyfull]

you won't find redmite on your hen - they only feed on them over night and then spend the day hidden in the nooks and crannies inside the coop.
How old is she?

[F1schuey]

Not sure of age they were rescued 13th feb... not battery hens but from cruelty.  I shall attach a pic from a few weeks ago

[F1schuey]

I mini clean them everyday, taking any poo out, clearing it off of the floor, I Hose the coop down every morning when the girls go off to scavenge. Coop is cleaned weekly and dusted as per instructions on the tub.  Im really carefull using the Jeyes fluid.... always ensure rinsed and completely dry and I do in a morning so the dust can settle if that makes sense.

[joyfull]

to check for red mite go out when it is dark with a torch and a piece of white paper. The torch will allow you to see any mite crawling around and then slide the paper in any gaps in the woodwork. If it is stained with red then you have well fed red mite  . Hosing out the coop will not get rid of them - just wash them out onto the ground from where they will climb back up into the coop, Red mite can survive for months without food.

[F1schuey]

Thanks will check that tonight. 

[kellym]

hi F1schuey

i have been having the same thing happen with one of my girls for the last 2 weeks now. one day i have a good egg off her, next day a softie, then other days no egg at all. i pretty new to all this myself so cant really offer much advice just wanted to let you know your not alone and hopefully she will sort herself out like mine has (for now anyways)

kellym

[F1schuey]

Thanks Kellym.... keep intouch... just found another soft shelled egg this morning....One girl is normal and the other laying softies.  Checked for red mite last night and all clear on that one.  Really checked hard, but will look again tonight just incase.  Strangely, my friend who has loads of chickens.... hers have stopped layin, another person has contacted me to say hers have too and then another with soft eggs? completely worried... everything was going so well.

[PaulineM]

Hi
When you say your hens are laying 'softies' do you mean thin shelled?
I have one hen who is a brown hen like yours, I am pretty sure she is at least a year older than my other girls even tho she was only bought last August (first ever hens).
She lays thin shelled eggs and I have tried everything to improve the quality of the shells. The only thing I have found to work long term is mixing in a handful grit and oyster shell into their morning mash. I never see her eating grit and oyster shell of her own accord. When I do this her eggs improve in a few days and I have tried cutting back on this and the old problem returns.
I would prefer not to add this to all the mash as I am aware that the other hens don't need this but I cannot get this hen to eat the grit etc anyother way. 

[F1schuey]

I'll keep that in mind and if after a few days there is no improvement try it. I not worried about getting get from her, as long as she not suffering in any way.

[LittleRedHen]

I had a problem with softshelled eggs until I got Limestone flour to mix with my hens' mash.  I also started to give them Life Guard so that they had the necessary vitamins to help their bodies absorb the limestone flour.  I won't feed them any treats or extras until they have finished all or most of their morning mash.  It really is important that this is the staple of their diet.  They had the flour for about a week before I saw a difference in their eggs, but they are all perfect now!

[PaulineM]

I couldn't get any flint grit when I went to buy some but I was recommended Limestone grit which is what I am using. Not sure what others will think of it but maybe it kills two birds with one stone (that sounds like an omminous pun)