Help - neighbour's chicken has laid a weird egg

[SecretSix]

I'm chicken sitting for my neighbour's three chickens. The older one hasn't been laying for ages, but the two younger and more recent additions to the coop are laying one each a day.

This morning there is one normal egg and one which doesn't have a shell. It's got the lining holding it together, but is squashy and I can see through it to the yolk. It's also got pink lumpy bits hanging out of it. Not sure whether that is part of the egg or the chicken's insides, hence the concern.

Should I contact my neighbours? Does this happen? I haven't picked it up to throw out yet (am a bit squeamish so building up to that).

[CMOTDibbler]

Its a softshell egg - basically just not formed very well and fairly common in young hens. Do they have access to a bowl of grit or oyster shell?

[SecretSix]

Thanks for replying.

I'm not sure, I'll have a look re grit, but if not I'll have to leave it until neighbours get back anyway on Monday. So long as it's not life threatening!

[weebleswillwobble]

No need to panic - it can quite frequently be caused by the weather suddenly warming up as chickens tend not to eat as much in hot weather and so can be lacking in the protein it takes to form a solid egg shell. We haven't had any for nearly a year, and yet in the past week we've had two, and our neighbours have had one too. So don't worry!

[HauntedNoddyCar]

I did see on telly that thunder storms can cause malformed eggs.

That's the one chicken fact I know!

[SecretSix]

Thanks all. It got weirder. I went back to remove it (armed with plastic gloves and a carrier bag and DP ) and it was gone! Would the chickens eat the soft shell egg?

[CMOTDibbler]

Yes, they will

[NMFP]

eww. I've just found a soft-shelled egg with a big (marble sized) lump of something pinky-grey inside it and another bit that was external to the egg. Both hens look fine. Both about 18 months old so not old or young.

Any thoughts?