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Chicken constantly laying soft eggs

post #1 of 6
8/8/12 at 4:17am
Thread Starter 

Hi,

 

I'm posting this for a friend who has 3 chickens. Two are laying fab eggs and one is laying soft eggs everyday. She's giving her plenty of grit and oyster shell and she's definitely taking grit but it's not making any difference. She's had the chickens a couple of months now and we're wondering if she's defective and not able to lay hard eggs? Anybody had this problem before?

 

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post #2 of 6
8/8/12 at 4:52am
You can look at what the Egg Quality Handbook says about it. Look under thin-shelled and shell-less eggs.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/ourbooks/1/egg-quality-handbook/

Generally when it is only one hen consistently doing this in a flock, it is something specific to the hen, not something being done to the entire flock. Either she is not eating the oyster shell or her body is not processing it.
Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
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Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
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post #3 of 6
8/8/12 at 6:07am

How old are these hens? The older the hen, the weaker the shell. I've found that it's not enough to give oyster shell to the old hens, I also have to be very careful about what else I feed them. When younger they could eat table scraps and bread and corn, now they need to be kept on laying hen pellets and greens. You can read more here:  http://hencam.com/henblog/2011/07/thin-shelled-eggs-old-hens-and-the-miracle-diet-cure/

Also, within a flock, as the hens age, you'll see a great variety in the quality of the shells. There's a lot going on inside these old hens that you don't see. 

Terry Golson

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Terry Golson

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post #4 of 6
8/8/12 at 8:32am
I have one that does that consistently. Sometimes she'll even lay a regular egg the same day! Her internal plumbing just isn't right. She's only a year old and has always done this. Needless to say, she won't be part of a breeding project.

Yes, more calcium does help as does a balanced diet. But some just have bad plumbing.

== Easy incubator wiring chart: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=65925 Installing a thermostat: http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html
Love those Orps!

I don't care why the chicken crossed the road, as long as mine don't!

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== Easy incubator wiring chart: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=65925 Installing a thermostat: http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html
Love those Orps!

I don't care why the chicken crossed the road, as long as mine don't!

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post #5 of 6
8/9/12 at 6:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by galanie View Post

I have one that does that consistently. Sometimes she'll even lay a regular egg the same day! Her internal plumbing just isn't right. She's only a year old and has always done this. Needless to say, she won't be part of a breeding project.
Yes, more calcium does help as does a balanced diet. But some just have bad plumbing.

 

Yea calcium I'd say...feed em other hard egg shells, recycle, lol, & yea like Galanie said, might be bad plumbing, I mean, us humans have gut issues & pregnancy related issues lol...aint' all perfect!

**3 RIR hens  **White Leghorn hen  **7 GLW(2 chicks) **9  (1 JG, 1 Silkie mix, 1 silkie, 4 mix Nankin/OE's, 1 Lorp, 1 JG/Prod red), ***4 Seramas

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**3 RIR hens  **White Leghorn hen  **7 GLW(2 chicks) **9  (1 JG, 1 Silkie mix, 1 silkie, 4 mix Nankin/OE's, 1 Lorp, 1 JG/Prod red), ***4 Seramas

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post #6 of 6
10/9/12 at 5:16am

Yea my whitey has laid 2 soft shells 12 hrs early while on the roost at night....I Think this last 1 was from cold weather, 84-48 degrees but I don't know why the last one...it was like w/in a months time

**3 RIR hens  **White Leghorn hen  **7 GLW(2 chicks) **9  (1 JG, 1 Silkie mix, 1 silkie, 4 mix Nankin/OE's, 1 Lorp, 1 JG/Prod red), ***4 Seramas

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**3 RIR hens  **White Leghorn hen  **7 GLW(2 chicks) **9  (1 JG, 1 Silkie mix, 1 silkie, 4 mix Nankin/OE's, 1 Lorp, 1 JG/Prod red), ***4 Seramas

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