Any suggestions for soft shell when you don't know the doer?

[Vincentville farm]

I am a new chicken mama. My chickens have been laying and playing nicely for several months now. Last week I got one soft shelled egg. Now I have gotten one two days in a row. I have no idea who is laying them. I have 17 barred rocks who are all the same age but came into laying at different times. I believe they are all laying now and all are happy ladies. Because of my husband's health (and his jealousy of anything that takes me away from his side) I don't get to spend a lot of times with my flock.

On August 30th I had two(?) chickens lay me marble sized eggs. They were perfect in every way, even though they were little. I'm assuming that my last two chickens started laying at that point. Could one of them be the soft shell layer and hopefully grow out of it?

I have three feeding stations where I feed them an all in one and have oyster shell flakes at every station. They get a midday snack every day and I have recently started giving them fermented feed. All 19 of my flock (one rooster and one older EE hen) are excited to eat whatever I bring them, including dried soldier fly larva. I don't know what to do to identify and help out this one chicken though.

I change out the nesting pad every time and keep whatever eggs get soiled before I collect them. We don't wash our eggs before selling them so don't feel I can put a washed egg in with the unwashed for sale. Any suggestions besides cleaning up the mess and spending hours watching would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Debbie292d]

I am a new chicken mama. My chickens have been laying and playing nicely for several months now. Last week I got one soft shelled egg. Now I have gotten one two days in a row. I have no idea who is laying them. I have 17 barred rocks who are all the same age but came into laying at different times. I believe they are all laying now and all are happy ladies. Because of my husband's health (and his jealousy of anything that takes me away from his side) I don't get to spend a lot of times with my flock.

On August 30th I had two(?) chickens lay me marble sized eggs. They were perfect in every way, even though they were little. I'm assuming that my last two chickens started laying at that point. Could one of them be the soft shell layer and hopefully grow out of it?

I have three feeding stations where I feed them an all in one and have oyster shell flakes at every station. They get a midday snack every day and I have recently started giving them fermented feed. All 19 of my flock (one rooster and one older EE hen) are excited to eat whatever I bring them, including dried soldier fly larva. I don't know what to do to identify and help out this one chicken though.

I change out the nesting pad every time and keep whatever eggs get soiled before I collect them. We don't wash our eggs before selling them so don't feel I can put a washed egg in with the unwashed for sale. Any suggestions besides cleaning up the mess and spending hours watching would be greatly appreciated.

Since you already said you have oyster shell out, then for sure it's just that they are new layers and they'll grow out of that, usually in a couple of days. Those tiny ones you got I've heard called "Fairy eggs."

 

[aart]

We don't wash our eggs before selling them so don't feel I can put a washed egg in with the unwashed for sale.

You definitely shouldn't sell them, and should wash them and refrigerate before you eat them.

What is their normal feed...brand/model and protein and calcium percentages?
I'd cut out all the extras except for a good poultry ration for a few weeks and see if it clears up. Are you sure they are eating the osyter shells?

Those tiny ones you got I've heard called "Fairy eggs."

Fairy, fart, wind, rooster eggs are usually from a tiny piece of tissue breaking loose from the reproductive tract, or an immature ova(yolk) and the body forms an egg around it. Color can be darker than 'normal' as the pigment coating released has to cover a much smaller area so is thicker. Can happen with any age layer, but more common with older layers.

 

[Vincentville farm]

Thanks all. I appreciate the feedback.
BTW I'm feeding an all in one from Grange Co-op. It has 18% protein. Don't know the calcium amount off hand.
I defiantly do wash and refrigerate before I eat the soiled eggs. I refrigerate my eggs for sale too but don't wash. My cupboard can't hold them all