Soft-shelled Egg?

[Domenic]

My white zebra Eve just laid an egg that had parts of the shell but were thin and folded with a yolk broken inside of this little contraption. The egg wasn't closed, the thin almost transparent shell was in the form of a taco and the yolk was inside. It's hard to explain and a few of you know the macro on my camera stinks so I can't get a picture. But the most accurate diagnosis I can give this is a soft-shelled egg. This is the second time she has done this, the first time was months and months ago on her first clutch. Both times she has laid the egg outside of the nest, something she never does with normal eggs, and someone had their hand near or inside the cage while she layed it. For that reason I am thinking this egg was simply underdeveloped and that when she became frightened she layed it too early. I've never read or heard of a hen aborting her egg as it was still developing, but I can't think of another reason why every time she does this is when she is in a fright.

As of now I'm going to try putting more calcium in her diet. This would have been her first egg in a clutch, so I'm hoping she attempts to continue laying the rest of a clutch.

Please, any help?
Thanks.

[L in Ontario]

I also had a hen lay a soft-shelled egg yesterday (first egg of her second clutch and first soft-shelled egg for her ever) - it was like a under-inflated balloon: squishy to the touch but not broken and the colour was very opaque, almost orangy.

I removed her to a hospital cage with a heatlamp and towel over top the cage to keep warmth in and gave her a drop of calcium to the beak (which she stubbornly refused to open) plus extra calcium in her water. She seems fine this morning but I'm leaving her there for the day. If she is still fine this afternoon (4pm) I'll return her to the breeding cage with her mate.

I believe this is a calcium deficiency which causes or leads to soft-shelled eggs. Good luck with your hen Domenic.

[cindy]

Domenic, try this to...I noticed right before the hens lay eggs they all go to the cup of grated cuttlebone mixed with grated mineral block and ground oyster shells. I leave this out all the time and refresh/give new once a month or if soiled in. I also hang cuttlebone, but the like the mix.

They eat from it daily but I noticed the females in it a lot more throughout the day right before they go to nest.

[nixity]

It can also be related to disease if you have sufficient calcium available in the diet or supplemented :\

[cindy]

Tiffany, some of my pairs like the "Hatched" egg shell you sell. (That reminds me, I forgot to order that from you this time...next order! )

[nixity]

That's great My birds eat it like its candy - but I have still had soft shelled eggs from one of my hens recently.. :\

[batuhan]

Hi All,
deficiency calcium,vitaminD and Sunlight.
sunlight very important for the health of the birds....
you should give vitaminD3,SUNLIGHT,shell grit,cuttlebone...
instead of vitaminD3,sunlight much much better...
if you want to have healty birds :
fresh air
fresh water
wide variety of foods
hygiene
SUNLIGHT
SUN-DAY LIGHT
FULL OF LOVE

batuhan

[L in Ontario]

As much as I'd love to give my birds full sunlight - it's not possible to have them outdoors with all the snow and -25*C temps we have for 3+ months of the year. Any sunlight coming through glass or plastic is useless in terms of UV rays. I have 'daylight' bulbs on each cage and it's the best I can do here abouts. I would never put my cages outside in the spring, summer or fall due to all the cats that the neighbours let roam outdoors. THe finches do get the best diet possible including calcium, D3, iodine and vitamin supplements.

[CandoAviary]

It can also be related to disease if you have sufficient calcium available in the diet or supplemented :\

What disease would cause this? I have never had a soft shelled egg but it sounds like something I want to avoid.

[JohnBoy]

If its not a calcium deficiency, shock can cause a hen to lay a soft shell egg.

[cindy]

I read that feeding certain kinds of greens can interfere with calcium absorption. Greens like spinach, beet greens and chard contain oxalic acid that reacts with the calcium so that it can not be absorbed. During breeding feed these greens in smaller amounts along with providing extra calcium. Foods and supplements with D3 help with calcium absorbtion.

Liz, I can't leave my birds outside either, stray cats, coyotes, snakes and rats plus the drastic weather changes and the heat in the summer coupled with storms...I feel my birds are better off inside.

[Sally]

Though there is no substitute for natural sunlight, it just isn't possible for everyone to supply it. Outdoor aviaries are wonderful, but not everyone lives in a house on land, or some deal with homeowner associations that limit what you can keep in your neighborhood (so you hide your birds inside), or any number of reasons to keep the birds inside. Daylight bulbs and D3 supplements can help.

[nixity]

It can also be related to disease if you have sufficient calcium available in the diet or supplemented :\

What disease would cause this? I have never had a soft shelled egg but it sounds like something I want to avoid.

Moulding disease..