One of the most frequent causes of laying thin shell or soft eggs is a diet low in calcium. While most quality layer feeds have extra calcium in them, you should still offer a supplement just to make sure your hens get enough. If your laying chickens aren’t eating enough calcium , soft eggs aren’t your only concern.
Why does a chicken lay an egg with no shell?
If hens lay eggs without shells, there is a good possibility that the eggs are carrying germs from the outside dirt. Thin-shelled eggs are still a good source of protein despite being defective. If the eggs are not shattered, you can feed it to other animals in your homestead like pigs.
If for some reason, they are startled in the night from a predator’ visit , sometimes eggs can be laid without shells. Stress: Anytime the flock is under stress such as molting, predators, excessive temperatures, change in the flock etc. Advanced Age: As we age, our bodies slow down. The same goes for chickens.
Some authors claimed chickens need a lot of calcium to create good, hard shells, so most incidences of shell-less eggs in an adult hens are related to not having enough calcium in the diet . Young hens may lay a shell-less egg or two right as they begin to lay eggs for the first time, before their systems have “gotten into the groove” of laying.
You might be asking “Why would a chicken lay a shell-less egg?”
A shell-less egg is quite common for stress reasons , and many other reasons. It’s not a cause of worry unless they become really common with a particular hen. What’s important is offering crushed well-flaked oyster shell to your hens, free choice, so they can eat what they need whenever they feel they need it.
This of course begs the inquiry “Can a chicken lay both a coated and a soft shell egg?”
In such cases, a hen may not lay an egg one day but may lay both a coated and a soft shell egg on the next. Here are some external factors for egg shell variations:.
What does it mean when an egg has no shell?
Soft or missing eggshells (sometimes called shell-less eggs) are quite common in older birds, especially high production hybrids / good layers, especially as they come into or out of lay for the season . A ‘soft-shelled egg’ has a membrane but no shell.
Yes, it can happen! These eggs feel like squishy bouncy balls and there are a few reasons as to why they happen. Sometimes these reasons are reversible and other times they are not . This post will take a look at the more common reasons behind these shell-less eggs.
What are shell-less eggs and why do they happen?
With shell-less eggs, the rest of the egg’s normal components are present; the membrane is what’s holding it all together. (It’s also possible to find eggs with either very thin or incomplete shells.) Why does it happen? There are a few reasons why a chicken might lay an egg without a shell : It just happens sometimes.
Even an egg without a shell has that soft membrane. You might even think it’s a regular egg until you touch it! Chickens need a lot of calcium to create good, hard shells, so most incidences of shell-less eggs in an adult hens are related to not having enough calcium in the diet .
How do chickens make thick egg shells?
To make thick egg shells, the hens need calcium . Diet: Be sure your layers are on layer feed. They also need adequate Vitamin D. Predators: Hens’ bodies form their eggs while they sleep. If for some reason, they are startled in the night from a predator’ visit, sometimes eggs can be laid without shells.
Why are my chickens not laying eggs anymore?
, and overweight hens. Chickens that are over weight can stop producing eggs altogether or produce lower quality eggs , sometimes with missing shells. Take a look at the breast of your birds, when the feathers are parted, you should see the skin is thin (almost like tracing paper) where the breast bone protrudes forward.
What does end of lay mean for chickens?
At around 72-78 weeks commercial hens are classed as end of lay hens as the number of non-standard eggs may increase as she gets older. A ‘soft shelled egg’ is one that has a membrane but no shell. You may find eggs with wrinkles, speckles, target or thumbprint marks or with a soft shell.