Soft Shell Eggs ?

[chartpolski 25,335]

I'm still fairly new to the chicken keeping. I have six Bovans Goldlines and until recently they were giving six eggs per day, then they dropped off to five then four then three per day, but only for a couple of days. Now there are five a day, but two are very soft shelled. I feed them on Layers pellets and once or twice a week on home made mash, usualy veggies and kitchen scraps. I've been told it may be due to moulting, but they look normal. Could it be to do with the rain we've had continuosly for the last few days ?

 

Cheers.

[foxdigger13 114]

Are you giving them enough grit if there penned,

Or are they free-range??

 

Cheers fd.

[chartpolski 25,335]

They're penned and get grit and crushed egg shells.

 

Cheers.

[patterdalejoel 669]

what grit is it? oystershell will help with the shells whereas conventional "hard" grit will just aid digestion and be retained in the gizzard for grinding, and break down of the feed, whereas the calcium in the oystershell is digested and helps the shells. if i ever get soft shells a few handfuls of oystershell always does the trick for me.

[skycat 6,174]

I always feed oyster shell: chuck a handful in with their mash etc. If they look to be leaving it I don't give them any more until its all gone. Never had soft shelled eggs even from layers 2 years old plus. Ours usually lay well until the end of their third year so I must be doing something right. Always make sure they have plenty of greens as well: grass, spinach beet, any weedings out of the veg garden, chick weed etc etc

[socks 32,253]

Easy fix take your used egg shells put them on a baking tray and put them in the oven say after your roast comes out and leave them in there until the oven cools take them out crush them down and mix in with the chooks food job done .... Also try adding mixed corn to their feed ...........

Edited May 11, 2012 by socks

[chartpolski 25,335]

It's just the normal grit. They have been laying well, it's just the last few days I've been getting soft shells. I'll try the Oystershell grit, Thanks

 

Cheers.

[David K 172]

Chickens can be awkward buggers sometimes and go off laying or do random size/soft eggs for no apparent reason. Moulting at this time of year does make them lay less but soft shells may be a sign of something lacking in their diet, do you give them crushed oyster shell as this gives them a calcium boost. Have you checked for mites? If they are being sucked dry of blood every night in the coop they tend to go off laying as well. Are their combs and wattles nice bright red or do they look dark and lacking blood?

 

The wet weather shouldn't be a problem as long as they have some shelter and are not ploughing through mud. I moved our layers out of their pen last week because of the Somme like mud and now they are free ranging over the whole garden and seem to be a lot happier, if it's possible to know what a happy chicken is.

[jasper65 6]

Different birds I know but I have had soft shell eggs with some birds of prey in the past even though they was on a decent diet. with one particular bird she did it regular which was only cured by upping the vitamin calcium levels in her diet.

 

I tried numerouse different supplements but the only one that hit the sweetspot and cured it was Nutrobal powder. its strange as I have had other birds on the same balanced diet without a problem yet for some reason some need more in the line of calcium than others.

 

Here's a link to some on ebay if its any use to you

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nutrobal-100g-Tub-Tortoise-Lizard-Terrapin-Bird-/370287403576?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_Insects&hash=item5636d96238

[KittleRox 2,147]

I used to scrape fine shavings of cuttlefish over the seed when I kept the birds, sounds like yours could do with a supplement the now though, calcivet if memory serves, atb

[hugo1 31]

could be mite or worm they cause thin shells how old are the birds some time young birds don't lay fully formed eggs so will come out funny shape and with no n shell

[foxdigger13 114]

Well most of my hens get free Roam of the yard but for the ones that don't I chuck some sharp sand in their pen as none of my chickens will touch oyster shell,

 

Cheers fd.

 

 

[weasle 1,119]

As said bake the egg shells crush them a couple of times a month.

[Butler 396]

How old are they? They could be coming to the end of their laying carrier which is about 18mths for most hybrid strains.

[Sjt657 191]

Grit !!!!