Broken Egg

[Jucodeo]

Well I woke up this morning and I went to check on my flock. I just got my 6 chickens yesterday 5 hens, and 1 rooster. Only two of the hens are old enough to lay eggs the Barred Rock, and the Rhode Island Red. My Barred Rock laid a egg yesterday, and it took her around 5 hours to do probably because it was her first time in her new coop. My Rhode Island Red laid one, but when I found it it was broken. Does anyone have any advice on what to do to make sure the egg doesn't break. The nesting ground is sorta small only round 6 inches in both sections so what do you guys think?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What are you using for nesting bedding?

 

[Jucodeo]

Just regular chicken bedding the kind that looks like wood chips off a playground, but they are thinner then the bottom is wood.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That should be fine. 6" is a little small. My nests are 12"X12".
They do break from time to time so it may just be a one time deal.
What are you feeding? Are you providing a calcium source like oyster shell in a separate container?

 

[Jucodeo]

I just give them regular feed like the stuff you could find at your local Tractor Supply. Yes the nests are a little small, but I think the chickens don't mind it to much.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There are lots of kinds of regular chicken feed - starter, grower, finisher, all flock, layer - a little different ingredients in each.
The primary differences are protein % and calcium %.
Is it layer feed or something else?
How old are the birds not yet laying?
So, I assume you aren't providing a calcium source in another container.

When a hen builds an egg shell, she uses about half of all the calcium in her bloodstream to do that. A few eggs with no additional calcium and it can cause problems - starting with thin shells.

 

[Jucodeo]

I feed my chickens starter feed and it contains 18% protein. I am not providing a calcium source, but I think that is a great idea! The hens that are not laying are all 3 and a half months and the hens that are laying are 13 months. That is good to know about the thin shells, I will keep that in mind next time I see some calcium source or better feed. Thanks for the help!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The starter feed you are using is fine, except that it is only 1% calcium. But 4% calcium (layer feed) is too much for young birds and roosters. If you set out a dish of oyster shell, those laying will choose to eat some to supplement that lost in the medullary bone when they lay an egg.
So I think you've discovered the cause of the broken egg problem.

http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/li...eggs-and-your-small-flock-of-laying-hens.html

https://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/bones-shells-and-hen-health/

 

[Jucodeo]

Ok thank you so much. I didn't want to keep running into this problem because the main reason we got chickens (besides the fact that their so cute) is for the most delicious Sunday breakfast ever! Thank you for the help and I will switch right away.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Don't switch, just offer oyster shell in a separate container.
As I said, 4% calcium is too much for young birds and roosters so layer feed would be inappropriate at this time.