Our flock is now almost four years old. This is the first year when their egg laying has completely ceased during their annual fall molt. Telling you that we miss their eggs is a huge understatement! We are down to our last dozen. However, a few days ago, as I lifted the nesting box lid, I discovered Feathers as she gracefully got up from the nesting box. As I peered down into the box, I discovered an egg. I was ecstatic. The eggs had returned.
Yet, this one was different. I scooped it up. It was warm but instead of feeling a shell, it felt rubbery. It was squishy. I could see the yolk inside this silly normal sized egg. We had fun with her egg, as it sat above the kitchen window for the last few days. It was a show and tell, a real- wow- kind of story that the kids were thrilled to share with their friends. As each day passed, the egg lost a little of its oomph, until yesterday when it looked like a pathetic deflated balloon. The rubbery coating on the outside had turned into more of a solid. It felt and looked like stale angel food cake, into the garbage it went. Since that egg was laid over three days ago, no other eggs have been gifted to our family from the flock. It’s amazing how we cherished Feather’s pathetic odd egg. I think in some weird way, it gave us a bit of hope, that soon enough the eggs will return.
- Not enough calcium in the diet– Be sure that your flock is on layer feed, has a calcium supplement (crushed oyster shells or crushed eggshells), and also that you are not over-treating them.
- Starting to Lay for the first time– These are not uncommon when the flock begins to lay their first eggs.
- Returning to Laying– Whether after being broody or molting, sometimes as the reproductive system comes back “online” some eggs are laid without shells.
- Stress- Stress can come in many form such as predators, extreme heat, extreme cold, lack of daylight, illness, changes in the flock dynamic.
- Advanced Age– Older hens have a greater likelihood to lay eggs with abnormalities.
- Medical Conditions-Some hens’ bodies have issues with the absorption of calcium and others can have conditions of the reproductive system. In these cases, the malformed eggs might be a permanent occurrence. Check out issues with the egg shell gland and also egg drop syndrome.
10 thoughts on “Soft or Shelless Eggs in Backyard Chickens”
Our neighbors have had this happen twice…while I've not seen it in our flock, it would be quite something (and a science experiment for the kids!)
Thanks for the info, one of our girls does that fairly often. They free range all day so I never really worried too much about what they ate (free choice scratch and layer plus oyster shell) but I guess I should see about some better layer.
One of our Speckled Sussex (now 2 years old) has laid us one of these oddities every few weeks. She gets plenty of calcium. It is apparently just the way it is!! Got the first post-moult egg today. About time!!!!
Always so interesting!!
What causes brown eggs from a Golden Comet turning to a chalky white?
Hi there, there are many possible causes including stress, advanced age, and illness.
One of my girls is laying just the white of an egg , no yolk or shell in sight. She does not move or interact with the others, free ranges all day and is on chicken scratch and pellets and bread as a treat, she is not stressed out as my yard is quiet. She is only two n a half and was healthy. Any help please?
Sometimes this happens. Here is another post that you might find helpful. https://www.tillysnest.com/2015/08/the-hens-reproductive-system-and-issues-html/
One of my girls is laying just the white of an egg , no yolk or shell in sight. She does not move or interact with the others, free ranges all day and is on chicken scratch and pellets and bread as a treat, she is not stressed out as my yard is quiet. She is only two n a half and was healthy. Any help please?
Hi Karin, oh dear. It sounds like she definitely has something happening from a reproductive standpoint-the first thing that I would try to do is improve her nutrition. No bread, and minimize the free-ranging. No scratch. Remember that their diet should be 90% of the Layer feed and 10% for all the other stuff. She very well could be protein deficient. Remember that the yolk is protein.