Strangely shaped soft-shelled egg? Nutrient deficiency?

[Winderdear]

A normal, or perhaps common soft shell egg, looks like an egg, and you can cook it if you can get it to the house intact. Generally if breaks in the coop. But what I meant was the whites and yolk look regular. This egg was not like that - but granted it might have been broke before the picture.

It was certainly broken before taking the picture. It also was misshapen, like an egg with an inflated tail. The whole thing had a very thin coating of shell. I would say the yolk and white looked pretty normal. When she has laid eggs with normal shells, the yolk and white have also been perfectly good. Dark yellow yolks, with not too runny whites.

Her normal eggs are hard shelled and a bit pointy. She used to have the hardest shells of my small flock. Lately, when she does lay a normal shelled egg, they’ve been a little more elongated than they used to be.

She’s given me about 190 eggs since she started laying. Initially it was everyday for the first 4 weeks, then 5-6 a week until the first soft shelled egg incident in mid-June, then it’s been more like 4 per week since. She’s had 3 more incidents of soft-shelled eggs since then, with a week or more of good eggs in between. This most recent one was the only one that wasn’t really egg shaped.

 

[Mrs. K]

I don't know how you feel about culling, but I would not be keeping this bird. This time of year, I try and evaluate my birds, who is and who is not getting along, who is laying well, who does not. It is not a pleasant choice, but it keeps a young and healthy flock.

I am not saying you have to cull it, a lot of people don't. I am just saying I think it is genetic, and it is a weakness in laying, and that can lead to infection. I don't want that in my flock.

BUT on the other hand, I have had spells of soft shell eggs, and a lot of the time, they just go away on their own. I used to treat them, until I figured out that it is just a glitch and they quit if I do something or not.

Mrs K

 

[Winderdear]

I don't know how you feel about culling, but I would not be keeping this bird. This time of year, I try and evaluate my birds, who is and who is not getting along, who is laying well, who does not. It is not a pleasant choice, but it keeps a young and healthy flock.

I am not saying you have to cull it, a lot of people don't. I am just saying I think it is genetic, and it is a weakness in laying, and that can lead to infection. I don't want that in my flock.

BUT on the other hand, I have had spells of soft shell eggs, and a lot of the time, they just go away on their own. I used to treat them, until I figured out that it is just a glitch and they quit if I do something or not.

Mrs K

I appreciate your advice, I really do. However, I can’t cull her because I see her as a beloved pet. I would have her put down only after trying everything I can to make her healthy.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well really, just wait. Ten to one, she will just quit laying soft shells even if you do nothing. Or she might have a perfectly fine life, with occasional soft shells.

If she is getting a basic diet - that is really about all you can do.

 

[Winderdear]

Well really, just wait. Ten to one, she will just quit laying soft shells even if you do nothing. Or she might have a perfectly fine life, with occasional soft shells.

If she is getting a basic diet - that is really about all you can do.

Thank you for your reassurance! I’ll keep her diet very basic, with the added calcium and just wait and see.

 

[Winderdear]

So, the egg I was pretty sure she would lay two nights ago ended up coming out last night or early this morning. It was enormous. Part of it had a thicker shell, the other part was very thinly shelled and rough. It looks like it broke on the fat end, which hopefully didn't happen until after she got it out. One of the pictures below shows where it cracked when I picked it up. Normal Août egg on the side for comparison.





I don't know if this means anything new, but wanted to share. I still don't see any symptoms other than lethargy from her, and it isn't constant lethargy. The most obvious thing she does is stand very still with her tail a bit drooped, but that's only when she's got a soft egg inside her. The day after she lays it, she seems perky and normal. I am vigilantly watching the frequency and quality of her droppings to make sure she isn't egg bound. I'm not sure what else I can do for her, but I'll keep up the calcium and a standard diet of grain.

 

[Winderdear]

So, actually, this was an egg inside an egg. The outer shell papery thin, and the inside egg much more firm with the little tail, and oozing egg white.

 

[ChicNmom]

The calcium should regulate her system. I have one that lays oddly shaped eggs and after I get her calcium levels up they are always oblong. She might be overweight. Or may just have a glitch in her shell gland. As long as I stay on top of the calcium she is fine.

 

[aart]

If your other birds are laying 'good' eggs, it's not likely a diet issue...just one bird with a wonky system.

 

[Winderdear]

If your other birds are laying 'good' eggs, it's not likely a diet issue...just one bird with a wonky system.

Thank you, that makes a lot of sense.