broken eggs/thin shells

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Judee

Judee

Chirping
7 Years
Nov 12, 2015
29
9
79
Portland, Oregon
My hens began laying about 3 weeks ago. We're averaging 2 eggs per day. Pullet sized to start, but forming larger this week. Usually I find eggs between 9 am-Noon.
This morning at 7 am I found 2 eggs, on floor, not in the nesting boxes, very thin shells, broken.

I have 5 chickens who would lay brown eggs, so not sure who. Thoughts? Thank you!
smile.png
 
Give them laying ration for feed if you have not already switched over. Give them oyster shells or some other form of calcium to help with the shell thickness.

Make sure no one is sleeping in the nesting boxes. Poor hens may not have had an open box or their favorite box to lay the egg in.

And by the way
welcome-byc.gif
!!!
 
My Rhode Island Red is indeed sleeping in one of the laying boxes....I didn't want to flush her out cuz thought she might be laying? Why would she be staying there rather than roosting with the others? She's fine in the pecking order otherwise. Not sure if she has layed eggs yet...
 
I can see your 3 previous posts including the thanks post.

Some chickens just like sleeping in the box. I have some that do it too, but they have more than one box they will use to lay eggs in. I have read in another post that making sure the nesting box is lower than the perch will reduce the likely hood of them sleeping in the nesting box. It is best to break them of the habit (if you can figure out how), because it will keep the nesting box cleaner.

Here are some other posts on the subject.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1035311/chickens-not-perching-and-sleeping-in-their-nesting-boxes
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1023408/hens-sleeping-and-pooping-in-the-nest-boxes
 


Update on broken/thin shells. No sleeper in nesting boxes now, but i am still finding these thin/broken eggs...now in nesting box. The first pic is exactly what I found in nest, then when I cracked the thin membrane of a shell, here's the result. 2 other hens are still laying nice healthy eggs. Everyone is getting crushed, baked eggshell for calcium. I don't know who is laying these...someone said perhaps genetic....thoughts?
 
Eggshells some times dont have enough calcium for them. They have to eat alot more of them in order to get the amount they need. Oyster shells would be best and it could be that thenother hens are eating all of them or keep then one hen from them i would see if one getting chased from food and other resources.
 
You can feed an all-flock feed like Flock Raiser, with oyster shell on the side, or a layer feed like Layena, still with a side dish of oyster shell. Very crushed egg shells are absorbed too fast to be available to the bird when she's laying down the shell, so the larger chunks of oyster shell are better. If you are feeding a lot of other stuff, their diet may be unbalanced and that's not good. There can be genetic issues or diseases that impact shell quality too. Mary
 

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