soft egg

[9pollock]

Why is my Isa Brown laying soft eggs (no shell) she is now 1and 1/2 yrs old. I do give her a little mealworms and black sunflower seeds as a treat but she is also given plenty greens and always has her layers pellets. Do I stop giving her the treats and see if there is an improvement?
Could the soft egg be due to worms? I have got some worm meds but haven't given this to her yet.
She is very healthy and energetic but I am concerned about the eggs and the possibility of egg eating if it bursts and the girls get a taste for the egg.
Please can anybody help?

[snakeshack]

It may help to provide oyster grit or another calcium source


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[Scarlet]

I would cut out all treats, give nothing except layers for a couple of weeks and see if you see an improvement. Use the oyster shell as Snakeshack has suggested.
Soft egg shells can also be caused from stress - is she being bullied, been moved about, etc? Warm weather can also be the cause- the birds eat less of their pellets, but again this isn't too much of an issue if you don't feed scraps.
You mention worming, if you have t wormed for a long time, autumn is the perfect time for doing so.

[ChrisMath88]

I'm having the same problem I've just resigned myself to the fact that my chicken has issues I've tried everything to snap her out of laying soft shelled eggs but nothing has worked, it's been months now, I get a soft egg near enough every day. She's happy and healthy in every other way so I'll just keep her happy and clean up after her and hope she snaps out of it :-/


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[kathyd]

I think there must be some kind of 'condition' which some birds have which means they will always lay softies - I hear quite often from people who say one of their birds has 'never' laid a normal egg. Maybe it's something faulty in their reproductive system? I don't see how it can be a diet problem if all the others are laying OK, and if it's been going on for an extended period of time... But then I'm hardly an expert, just thinking aloud really