Soft egg whilst chicken on the run in the garden?!?!

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

We have 3 chickens who have been laying happily for past 2 mths! On Friday one of them was hopping round the garden and laid a soft shelled egg on the decking? We didn't see her do it just the egg afterwards and its shell was like rubber! On sat she didn't lay anything then today, same thing happened, another soft shelled egg, again on the decking?! Why is she doing this? Could it be because 1 week ago we bought a Aylesbury chick, which is in cage next to theirs and hops in the garden with them when they are all out? We also got a rabbit? If not why is she doing this? We leave here coop door open at night but I read somewhere she may of had a fright so now wonder if I should close it at night?! HELP?!

 

[Chuck]

Coop doors are best closed at night due to predators and anything else that can frighten them. They could have had a fright but I find most times soft shelled eggs are a temporary thing.

 

[chrismahon]

We have the occasional soft shelled egg. On one occasion it was lack of sunlight we think as she spent all the time in the coop. All the other occasions are stress related, bullied, over excited or frightened. When we have a predator around the coops at night there are soft eggs dopped in all of them. We never leave the coop door open unless it is very very hot at night. A fox could tear through the run wire so that isn't sufficient defence. If the ventilation in your coop in insufficient you should add more otherwise, as Chuck says, the coop door should be shut at night.

 

[E3lx]

Stress, bullying, or a fright from a predator can cause soft shelled eggs, as can lack of calcium.
Oyster shell and grit should be within access all the time. If they have oyster shell, if the behavior continues, they might not be eating it, so could benefit from liquid calcium added to the water.