⠀ Thin soft egg

[paintedbynature]

One of my hens layed a soft flimsy egg. It was like a leathery shell with everything else the yolk snd white in it. I feed purina and my birds are free to roam two acresthen go in a coop at night. I feed grit from time to time are they not getting enough calcium? Do i need to make a dietary change?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Shell-less eggs occur now and then even under the best of circumstances, so having this happen does not necessarily mean anything is amiss in your routine. That being said, when you say you "feed purina" - what type of purina are you feeding -- ie flock raiser, starter, layer ration......? Is the grit you offer occasionally simple poultry grit or are you referring to oyster shell (some folks use "grit" for both, but they are different)? How old are your birds?

 

[paintedbynature]

I feed the layer in crumble and pellets. They also get tractor supply scratch grain i have a mixed flock of bantams, rhodes, geese, turkeys, and ducks. I also feed gamebird with everything thats out there. I use regular polutry grit im thinking ill get some oyster shell or calcium though since im in tx and its going to get hot. I have really young too really old hens. I havent had the heart too cull misses howl even though shes 6 and has seen better days. Shes so old and tough she wouldnt be worth eating.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So how do you make the layers eat the layer feed and the non-layers the gamebird feed?
How much scratch are they getting (as in % of total intake)?
I'd get some crushed oyster shell right away in a separate container.

They're always worth eating. They make great soup. An older bird may be tougher but more flavorful than a 7 week old CornishX.

 

[paintedbynature]

Well i mix it all together since my whole flock runs together. My geese are sitting eggs right now and my turkeys and ducks lay too. They live in harmony so i just let them run the two acres and go in their coop at night it has worked for now. I do two scoops of layer with a scoop of scratch and another scoop of layer pellets. I gave them oyster shell in a bowl there tearing it up