Softshell eggs every 16 days

[OldManDan]

We are first time chicken owners and have an Easter Egger who has a weird egg laying behavior that I was hoping someone might shine some light on.

She lays fine most of the time, pretty much lays every day. She's one year old, and is in a flock of four, all hens. Starting about two months ago, she has this strange behavior that happens every 15 - 17 days. First, she will lay a normal egg just about anywhere (middle of the run, on the coop floor) and the next day she lays a softshell egg at night from her roosting bar. This behavior has happened four times now.

She seems healthy and happy the rest of the time, and lays in the nesting box otherwise. We have oyster shell available, which I have seen her eat, plus at least once per week we will give her some yogurt or ground up eggshell on a treat.

Otherwise, she has the same layer feed our other chickens eat, plus she free ranges at least 5 hours per day in our back yard. Temperatures have been in the mid 90s for a few days, but otherwise low to mid 80s (eastern Virginia).

Is this something to be concerned about? Is there anything else to do? Or is this just a quirk of her reproductive system? Thanks!

 

[Perris]

A cycle of normal eggs followed by a soft shelled egg, followed by a drop in production, followed by return to normal = typical sign of vit D deficiency, Damerow Chicken Health Handbook p.29. Treat with some cod liver oil - not more than 2%, idem.

 

[OldManDan]

A cycle of normal eggs followed by a soft shelled egg, followed by a drop in production, followed by return to normal = typical sign of vit D deficiency, Damerow Chicken Health Handbook p.29. Treat with some cod liver oil - not more than 2%, idem.

Thank you!