just got a soft / broken egg: should i worry?

[nmayhew]

hi,

our 4 Light Sussex have been laying for about 3 weeks now, and from the very first egg, they have all been fine.

then this morning i noticed a freshly laid "blob": the shell was soft and torn, the yoke just a bit of goo.

they are let out daily, usually for a min of 2 hours, and are fed on mash with shell mixed in, along with raisins, cheese and corn as treats. they also have poultry spice sprinkled in their mash...

i had just fed them some cheese when this happened, but the cheese has not had this effect before.

should i worry, and what was the likely cause?

many thanks,

Nick

[Glutton4...]

From my very limited Chook-keeping experience, I'd say cut out the treats, and stick to 'proper' food. If you must treat them make it last thing at night, and just a handful between them. Mine get corn as their evening treat, and just a regular coffee mug full between 20 hens. Now I rarely get softies, but I believe they will happen occasionally with all hens. Good luck!

[Nicos]

Not had anything like that myself-( just a rubbery piece of 'skin' which was egg shaped)

I wouldn't know what to do !!!

[RichmondHens]

No - We don't get soft shells either, or very very rarely, and if so it's usually an older hen who is to blame. As Glutton says, cut out treats and keep on a basic diet of pellets plus whatever greenery they have access to. A small handful of corn/wheat in the evening is acceptable. Also make sure they have plenty of grit.

[MaureenHall]

I made a mistake on the poll!!!! I said no when I should have said yes (leave alone, wait and see!!) Sorry peeps

[Hilary B]

Not going to that poll, but, reduce treats (type less than critical, but quantity can be a problem), and... has anything happened in the last day or so to scare them? (perhaps overnight visit from a rat...)
Occasionally a soft-shell can be the result of stress.....

[Flummery]

We had a softee 2 days after a friend's kids wanted to pick them up! I think it can be related to stress of some sort as Hilary says. Day after the kids' visit one went mopey in the afternoon and next morning there was an egg-yolky mess in the coop. All chickens bright and bouncy after that so it can just be a one-off reaction. Unless it's a regular occurence (in which case I'd up the calcium and add a few drops of cod-liver oil to the feed for a day or two) I wouldn't worry. Just don't let strange kids pick up your chickens!

[HayleyB]

I love the line in 'The Dambusters' "As a poultry farmer I'm writing to complain............ the chickens are falling off their perches and laying premature eggs" In response to the night practice runs of low altitude bomb dives. My OH cause a prem egg by turning on the lights at midnight and a laydee did fall off her perch etc

[frias]

One of my old ex-batts lays one of these every day. Doesn't seem to make her ill. Have tried extra calcium from vet etc but it still happens. Last year we had several softies following the air show overhead and again following bonfire night and a visiting dog. So I presume old age and stress can cause soft eggs.
Hayley, another old film?

[HayleyB]

Yep I'm Old.....

[tlck9]

I got a soft egg overnight, it had obviously been pulled around by the time I got there this morning as it was everywhere. one of the chucks had it on her beak and on her feathers....what mayhem broke out I dont know

the only stress as far as I know was that I locked them away earlier on Saturday as we were going out for the evening....failing that I had my neighbour come and help lock them in the nights before, as she is going to look after them while we are away for a few days

[Bramble-Poultry]

Is it your first one? you have had no more recently.

If this is the case leave her be, its not realy a worry at this stage. A one off is nothing to worry about and certainly no need to alter her diet in any way. There really are loads of reasons why it occurs and if it only happens once it is nothing to do with diet.

It can also come from a fright, a stress, a fight - there really are lots of reasons

monitor them for a few days and if no more soft eggs appear then chalk it up to experience, if they do then we can discuss again!!

[tlck9]

not that i'm aware of.

certainly havent seen any explosions of yolk everywhere like this morning, and since i'm cleaning it out everyday I would notice

Looks like it could have been the my leghorn, Souffle the one that has been on and off laying

They have super mixed corn of a night, just a hand full, grass as they graze on it. last week they had some marrow left over (un cooked)

but then I've had two eggs now smeared with blood from potentially one of the others....
I think I was not destined to be a chicken owner

[lynda66]

when my girls started laying i had allsorts of weird things ... including a much envied double yolker and blood inside and outside the eggs ... they have settled down now and the only time i get a dodgy one is from the ex batts ... dont worry, they'll be fine

[Bramble-Poultry]

tlck - well at this stage then do not worry about it, if terhe is another one tomorrow or within the next couple of weeks then we will rediscuss

Chickens can lay soft eggs when they are moulting - so maybe its just something like that.

do they get a formulated feed - layers pellets etc?