Soft shell egg/ egg eating cures

lokua

In the Brooder
8 Years
Jul 25, 2011
59
2
31
I recently got 2 adult silkie hens. I've been keeping them in a small pen separate from the rest of the flock for a few weeks. I've been finding one intact egg covered in the yolk of another egg repeatedly. I finally caught them in the act and discovered one is laying soft shelled eggs that break open as soon as they touch the nest.They eat layer crumbles with calcium plus free choice crushed oyster shell just like the big girls outside whose shells are always fine. I am fairly certain if i can get her laying normal shell eggs they wont break them open. How can I get her to eat they oyster shell? Any other cures available?
thanks
 
You can try any high calcuim foods, yogurt, crushed egg shell, etc. New layers often experience "oops" eggs. However, some mature birds just end up with malfunctioning egg systems. I have a serama like that, and have resigned myself to soft-shelled eggs. I hope for your girl that it's just a temporary glitch. Oh, and you can try mixing in oyster shell WITH their crumbles. That might get more into her system if she's not eating it free choice....
 
If it is nutritional, then you should be able to cure by changing the nutrition.

Add 1 Tablespoon of AppleCider Vinegar per 1 gallon of water. The pH helps the hen absorb nutrients
Give chicken vitamins or some vitamin D3 (vitamin D is the "sunshine vitamin"
mix up the layer feed with the highest amount of calcium in your feed store with yogurt.

I was having some shell problems and in addition to the above--- I put chicken's egg shells into the food processor and pulverized/ground them up. Then I mixed that with chicken feed (crumbles and some water and some crushed vitamin D3 from WalMart)--- Today's shells were perfect. I have seen an awful lot of postings lately about soft shells/shell-less/rubber eggs.
In my case, I wonder if the layer feed I got had a quality control issue---and there wasn't calcium or not the amount that should have been in the feed.

Hope you get her to straighten out and your problem solved.
 
I don't think its poor nutrition because the other 5 birds seem fine and lay good thick shelled eggs. I'm beginning to wonder if its just stress. I have only had them 2 Weeks and its a major lifestyle change. They came from a free range home and have been in a small quarantine pen with me. Also she was missing a lot of feathers on her back from the rooster and they are just starting to regrow. I've started mixing oyster and egg shell into their feed just in case too. Thanks for the advice.
 
It could be the stress that causing the poor nutrient uptake. The vitamin boost should help, the calcium would not hurt. If she is regrowing feathers added protein wouldn't be wrong.
 
I don't think its poor nutrition because the other 5 birds seem fine and lay good thick shelled eggs. I'm beginning to wonder if its just stress. I have only had them 2 Weeks and its a major lifestyle change. They came from a free range home and have been in a small quarantine pen with me. Also she was missing a lot of feathers on her back from the rooster and they are just starting to regrow. I've started mixing oyster and egg shell into their feed just in case too. Thanks for the advice.

That's great--- today all 4 of mine produced perfect shells.... So I think I am going to pulverize the egg shells once or twice a week, mix in with the layer crumbles and water---and boost their calcium. Eggs are so amazing---but it is better when they have good shells. ;0)
 

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