Not Enough Calcium: Soft-shelled egg, Speckled

[273816]

My beautiful Beatrice, a red sex link, started laying a few days ago. She'd only started laying three days ago- including one today that has me worrying.

It is soft in some spots and a very light brown with dark spots. Her usual eggs are a beautiful brown colour unlike this one. I'm concerned it might be because she isn't getting enough calcium, but it might even be because she's a new layer- my very first!

Any thoughts and opinions are very appreciated.
Thanks so much,
Rachel.

 

[ShockValue]

What are you feeding her?

I wouldn't worry since she's new unless it became a regular thing.

 

[Kiaton]

My red-sex link did this also when she first started laying, and then it evened out, so I wouldn't worry unless it doesn't stop.Try giving more calcium and feeding egg shells back to her (crushed finely of course)

 

[273816]

How do you crush your egg shells? I find my pieces are always too large for Beatrice to get in her beak.

Rachel.

 

[donrae]

With a new layer, it's not lack of calcium. It's just her system working out the assembly line and getting a glitch. Just like when humans start their monthly cycle, some girls are dead regular from the start, some are erratic. Same thing with chickens, and more likely on high production birds like the commercial sex links. Not to fret unless it becomes a regular thing.

I feed the egg shells to my birds just as halves, however I cracked them. They're plenty able to break them apart with their beaks. Some folks like to crush them first, this can be as simple as crushing it in your hand, or putting them in a baggie and smashing with a cup. Little kids particularly like that method

 

[aart]

My beautiful Beatrice, a red sex link, started laying a few days ago. She'd only started laying three days ago- including one today that has me worrying.

It is soft in some spots and a very light brown with dark spots. Her usual eggs are a beautiful brown colour unlike this one. I'm concerned it might be because she isn't getting enough calcium, but it might even be because she's a new layer- my very first!

Any thoughts and opinions are very appreciated.
Thanks so much,
Rachel.

3 days does not make for an 'usually' ;-)

Give her time, it can take a week to a month for things to smooth out to what her 'usual' will be.

My pullets started laying about a month ago, 3-4 out of 6 are now laying, I've seen some funky eggs so far....but the first one has become pretty steady.