soft egg

[NSB]

My girls have been laying daily for 4 months now and suddenly we have a soft egg today!!

Should I be worried?

[Flummery]

I think they can all do the odd one. If it becomes a regular thing it's more to be concerned about. It suggests a lack of calcium if it happend often. Limestone flour is a quick way of adding a bit extra.

[HayleyB]

Yep, I agree with Aunty Flum there

[Safhyre]

Once when that happened to mine, I was told they needed more grit and it was suggessted to buy some oyster shell....and I add that now and then as mine are free range....

[Flummery]

Grit is used by the hens in their gizzards to grind up the food. Oyster shell grit is ground calcium carbonate so this is the stuff to strengthen shells - not just the ordinary hen grit.

[RichmondHens]

They can also lay the odd soft shell as a result of a shock/stress, regardless of how much calcium they are getting. Nothing to worry about as long as it's not happening often.

[minskey]

Flummery is 'mixed grit & oyster shell' enough or do I have to give them something else, I read somewhere about Limestone flour but can't remember what I read. i do give them poultry spice now and again.

[frias]

I have bowls of mixed grit & oyster shell in the run, also put tsp limestone flour and ground up baked eggshells in porridgy mix every day and still get an occasional softie. I think it just happens as the hens get older. I keep telling the girls to save their strength and don't bother to lay at all but they don't listen to me.

[Flummery]

I'd go with Frias - if your hens are getting on a bit and more inclined to lay softies, sprinkle the limestone flour on their food. You can make it stick with a little cod-liver oil stirred in first. If it's a one-off I think the oyster will be enough.

[sheena]

Sorry... jumping in on this.

I've had 2 soft eggs in as many days.
Grit and oyster shell is always available, yet I thought yesterday was a freak of nature, but again today was a little bit of a shock. Didn't even notice it until I was poo picking, (they look really weird too, never seen one until then).

Gonna see what happens tomorrow, and if I get more of the same, then i'm gonna have to give the limestone flour a go. Can't have my girl's laying softie's now. Not when they been doing so well.

Oh one more thing, I noticed yesterday that one of the girl's was going to bed earlier than the other 3, then tonight when I went out to close the door "Baldy" the early bird was sleeping in the house, but all 4 used to sleep in the nesting area.
I'm sure i'm just over-reacting, but she's the only one who doesn't seem to be growing new feathers around her neck (hence the name), there's spikes, but they are black spikes. Does that bare any difference?
She's eatting and drinking, and very friendly and is always the 1st to come running, which is why I haven't really worried until tonight. Wonder if there is a bully in the camp?

[Bephlam]

Possibly...or maybe she's just learning to perch...and using the house as it's intended. THEY ARE NOT MEANT TO SLEEP IN THE NEST BOX! (not shouting at you..shouting so my girls hear it!!!)

[sheena]

3rd time unlucky! time to get the flour but where can i get it from?
don't look like tesco or waitrose do it.

[MaureenHall]

If you can't get limestone flour at your feed suppliers, it's on Ebay, CHICKENS, HENS, BIRDS CALCIUM LIMESTONE FLOUR 1000G~1KG on eBay, also, Poultry Hatching Incubation, Pet Supplies, Home Garden (end time 02-May-09 14:20:21 BST). With the postage it does work out quite expensive, but you only need a teaspoonful at a time

[Nicos]

sheena - Nest boxes are a bit warmer than a perch- and it's gone a bit nippy at night hasn't it?.
I wonder if she's thinking about going broody???
As you say- it could be a spot of bullying

[Bephlam]

I seriously need to stop my girls sleeping in the nest box. The new birds start off sleeping on their perch...then move in to the nest box when they get chummy with the favs!! lol