First timer egg laying

[Burkeeks]

I have 19-20 week old hens. I have 6 of them, One has started laying and she's been laying beautiful eggs the past 3 weeks. I have another chicken who i'm suspecting is laying some super small eggs.

Lately about every other day i've been getting two soft shell eggs. My chickens are eating organic feed from a local mill that is 17% poultry layer. I also offer them oyster shells they can freely eat when they want. Additionally, My chickens spend most of their day feee ranging. On the warmer days, i ensure to put electrolytes in their water. I can't figure out which or how many chickens are laying the soft shells eggs.

Why are some laying perfect eggs and others are laying soft shell? this has been going on for two weeks now, i thought since they're new to laying it would work itself out.

What is your advice on how to correct this?

thank you!

 

[FrostRanger]

First, you really need to identify who's laying the soft shelled eggs

Next, once you figure it out, give the birds a calcium citrate + d3 tablet for a few days (same one made for humans)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Newer layers are more prone to glitches so something like a few soft eggs at first isn't out of the norm. If it continues then yes I agree with FrostRanger you'll want to figure out which bird is laying them and give them calcium to see if that helps fix the problem.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This link may help you determine who is laying which egg.

Who is laying what egg? - YouTube

I have 19-20 week old hens. I have 6 of them, One has started laying and she's been laying beautiful eggs the past 3 weeks. I have another chicken who i'm suspecting is laying some super small eggs.

If some eggs are great and some are not, then it sounds like your issue is an individual chicken problem, not a flockwide problem. I personally do not treat the entire flock for an individua problem. Why take a chance on messing the others up. So I agree, you need to identify which ones are causing the issues.

When pullets first start laying, especially when they are as young as yours, it if fairly normal for the eggs to be pretty small. They should gradually get bigger the longer they lay. But the internal egg making factory can be a complicated place. It is not unusual for some to have trouble getting all the parts and pieces correct when they start. Have you opened those super small eggs to see if they are normal but small egg or if they are yolk only or whites only?

Lately about every other day i've been getting two soft shell eggs.

It sounds like another has recently started laying. Different things could be going on. It may just be a start-up glitch which could easily sort itself out soon. It is possible that pullet is releasing two yolks in the same day to start making the eggs. That happens. A hen typically makes enough shell material to cover one egg a day. If she is laying two eggs in one day she may not have enough shell material to cover both so you get soft or thin-shelled eggs. Her shell gland may not be working correctly to deposit shell material on the egg. It could be something else entirely. It could even be two different pullets.

If you can identify which it is then giving them the calcium tablets may help or may not. It depends on what the problem really is. If you can't identify which one and she doesn't grow out of it then you either put up with it or get rid of her.