very strange egg

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Hi
We rescued 9 ex battery hens about 2 months ago. They were in terrible condition. After about 2 weeks they started to lay and we seem to get 4 or 5 eggs a day. The hens now look much better and seem very happy, we feed them on a mixed food which has vitamins and minerals added plus they get all our left over veg and they roam around the garden pecking away at everything.

About 10 days ago we had a odd shaped soft egg, which seemed to have many layers soft rubber shell, the look of it made me want to vomit, the dogs ate it happily though. Now today we have another. I have taken photos.
Some of the chickens look much bigger now then the others i dont know if that is to do with age, maybe we have a young layer, or some are just taking a bit longer to gain condition.

I have read a few different ideas on what might be causing it, hoping it is not a disease or infection or something. For a week we got a few eggs which were covered in blood, and then this stopped so i thought it might be a new layer, could this be related to these odd shaped eggs? (havent had a bloody egg for over a month)

We are living out in Bulgaria, trying to be self sufficient and learning as we go.
Any advice much appreiciated, as we dont speak bulgarian yet and cant ask a local.

thanks
 

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Doubt it's anything to worry about Ishkahara. Exbatts have had a rough time of it and you are lucky they are laying OK otherwise. Presumably the feed incorporates the Calcium they need -about 3% maximum I think. Otherwise need Oyster shell grit in addition. But if all the others are OK at the moment? I'd worry if it starts to increase in occurrence.
 
Sadly, this is very common in ex-batts as they have been forced to lay intensively for a couple of years before they get their freedom with kind people like you. Hybrids generally don't live as long, or carry on laying normal eggs, for as long as purebreds. This is because a hen has only so many eggs in her ovaries, just like humans really, and once they're gone, they're gone and the 'henopause' begins. Purebreds don't usually lay so many eggs per year but often go on much longer because their systems aren't under such strain.
Good-quality layers pellets do contain enough calcium to support lay, but unfortunately, as the hens get older and their systems begin to wind down, it seems there's often a problem with their digestions and they can't absorb and use the calcium so well. Consequently, they begin to lay soft, rubbery eggs like the ones you describe, or ones with wrinkled shells. If you can get the eggs before the hens break them they are perfectly OK inside and can be used for cooking etc, or you can add them, cooked, to the hens food as a valuable protein supplement. Also, collect the softies often, because if the hens find out how easy it is to eat them, you've got other problems!

You do need to watch out for hens looking hunched up and unhappy once they've started laying softies, though, as sometimes they get eggbound, being unable to deliver a soft egg, nothing to push against I suppose. Or it can even break inside, causing painful and terminal peritonitis. I think you just have to accept that ex-batts have had their best egglaying seasons, that's why the famer is getting rid of them, and just give them the best time you can in whatever healthy life they have left. And when things go downhill, maybe a peaceful end rather than a prolonged detrioration.
 
Nothing you have described is unusual for ex battrey hens. As well as being 'forced' for eggs for 18 months to 2 years, they have to re-adjust to having some freedom, nights/days and coping with a moult as well. Just give them time and although they all look the same and have been through the same system, they still behave & react as individuals and they do vary. So expect odd shaped and soft shelled eggs. Sometimes blood occurs on the shells when they have stoped laying and have started again.
How long they will continue to lay is not really possible to answer but many go on for another one or two years at a much reduced level.
In time, you'll be able to work out whether ex bats will fulfill your needs in regard to self sufficiency or whether young hens would suit better. Or a combination of both - I supect it will be a combination.
 
Thank you all so much for your replies. I am happy to hear that there is probably nothing wrong with which ever hen is the soft egg layer.
They all seem happy and very friendly, they all come and peck at our feet and jump up on our laps, i had one jump on my shoulder the other day (whilst i was sitting). They seem very friendly which is lovely. For now they are laying enough for our needs, but next spring we plan to get some youngsters.
Thanks again.....
 
Hi Ishkhara. If you are getting youngsters read the posts about integrating them with the others. You will need a second run and coop temporarily until the youngsters are big enough and to give them time to become familiar without risking fighting. Keep them on rearer/ grower pellets until one lays its first egg then switch to layers pellets. Worm at 18 weeks earliest. If very young feed them chick crumb with ACS.

More detail is available from the forum should you need it next year of course.
 
one of my chickens started laying these, she's 3 years old, the shells became very soft and sometimes no shell, after she had a mault her eggs are now a nice rich brownwith strong proper shaped shell, whereas before the shells where becoming very soft and pale
 
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