Do chicken eggs come out soft?

Question

I have just recieved 4 ex battery hens and one of them has just laid an egg. It is very soft and has no hard shell it almost feels like a water balloon. Is this normal, will it harden?

Answer 1

No.

Answer 2

Don't worry this is very common and despite giving all your chickens all the correct food it will occasionally happen.

Not a problem and just continue with your correct feeding and well done for saving four lovely birds and I hope they give you a few good years of eggs.

Answer 3

You may not notice it, but yes, the egg shells are slightly softer as it comes out.  In air contact, the shells harden in moments.

The shell is the medium for the chick to breathe, so it is porous, and that is the chemical change factor to harden the egg shell right away, because it must support the weight of the hen when she lays on the eggs to keep them warm.

There truly IS a condition called "soft shell", which usually is caused by the mother bird (hen in this case) eating food containing a pesticide or other harmful chemical.  This was the chief cause of the Bald Eagle decimation during the 1970s and 1980s.  It also was evident in Buzzards, Hawks, and Condors for the past 30 years.  But that is a total softness of the shell, and it is rare that chicks will survive because the air transporation is hampered greatly, in addition to the yolk being possibly contaminated as well.

Answer 4

Theres something wrong with it.  Their always hard when they come out =] i had chickens =]

Answer 5

Chances are the hen hasn't had enough calcium.  We used to feed our chickens ground up oyster shells for calcium which makes the egg shell thicker and harder.

Answer 6

Soft-shelled eggs generally occur when an egg is prematurely laid, and insufficient time in the uterus prevents the deposit of the shell. A lack of calcium in a heavy lay cycle along with the insufficient time to form will only add to soft shelled eggs being layed.

Thin-shelled eggs may be caused by dietary deficiencies, heredity, or disease. Many times as a hen ages her eggs will become thin shelled and brittle.

Answer 7

Hi. Yes, some do.. I have a hen that is just starting to lay.. Her

first egg was "soft shelled'.  I myself, had never seen a soft shelled

egg. Her second egg was smaller than the others, but the shell

was hard..

I was thankful to read all the replies here.. Everyone had really

super advice..

Answer 8

That happens sometimes. My friend had chickens and they occasionally laid a soft egg. It won't harden though. The reason it is soft is because it was laid to early and didn't have time to harden inside the hen. This usually happens in younger chickens because their reproductive systems have not fully matured yet. Just throw out the egg and wait for next time. =)

Answer 9

No this is not normal for your average hen although generally it isn't a major problem

"soft shelled eggs" are a common thing with pullets

(hens starting to lay)  just beginning to lay . . .. .

also fairly  common .with older hens and chickens under alot of stress.

which is what I'd imagine the reason with your hens

(they have a had a hard year of laying already in the past)

they are aso however a sign that the particular hen isn't getting enough calcium. . . to give a hard shelled egg.

But that being said  now and again perfectly healthy hens  will just lay a soft shelled egg . . for no apparent reason

and there is no problem in that as long as it is not an "everyday" kind of problem with that hen ...

then that shows the chicken is not getting enough calcium

with your 4 new girls their old diet (layers mash) would probably have had the calcium grit etc already in the food

so giving them a little oyster shell will give em that . . if you are not feeding them a feed with that already included

but like i said I'm fairly confident it's just a one off thing with your new girls . . . i mean they have just been given practically a new life (out of the cage,space etc)

and the egg, no it will not harden but you can still eat it amazingly!

well done for giving these poor girls a second chance at a new life . . . they'll be grateful and you save d them from slaughter.