Leghorn eggs have thinner shells??

[Flock Leader]

We keep a mixed flock, and two of our current layers are White Leghorns. All our chickens get the same feed, but while our other hens lay eggs with beautiful uniform shells, the Leghorns' eggs often have shells that are porous, thin and prone to cracking. They free-range on very mineral-rich soil and get layer's feed plus kitchen scraps. Do they need extra calcium on account of being such a productive breed? Or do Leghorns always have thinner shells? I've been keeping chickens for years now, and have noticed this with Leghorns before.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I would set out oyster shell if you have it available there, just in case. You can also toss your eggshells back to them with the kitchen scraps, if you are not already. I don't know if Leghorns usually have thinner shells but my guess is no. They may have higher calcium needs though, which can be met by what I've suggested above.

 

[GC-Raptor]

We keep a mixed flock, and two of our current layers are White Leghorns. All our chickens get the same feed, but while our other hens lay eggs with beautiful uniform shells, the Leghorns' eggs often have shells that are porous, thin and prone to cracking. They free-range on very mineral-rich soil and get layer's feed plus kitchen scraps. Do they need extra calcium on account of being such a productive breed? Or do Leghorns always have thinner shells? I've been keeping chickens for years now, and have noticed this with Leghorns before.

I have 5 Golden Comets, and feed layers pellets. One of them laid a lot of soft shelled eggs in the beginning. So after about 2 weeks I bought oyster shell and put in a separate container. The frequency of soft shells and thin shells has been reduced.
But hard egg shells also require vitamin D, phosphorus, and manganese, as well as other nutrients that are in chicken feed.
Leghorns are a smaller, lighter more flighty breed. Make sure to provide enough feeder space so they are able to feed, when the larger breeds are feeding. GC

 

[lazy gardener]

IME, white shelled eggs often are thinner shelled and more porous. GC points out a fact that is often missed: strong egg shells require more than just calcium. Other minerals and vitamins are required for proper Ca++ uptake. I don't place a lot of faith in commercial chicken feed. IMO, it contains the bare essentials, and even at that, often stores sell old feed, or it goes stale before a bag is used up. For your best feed mileage, you should use up a bag of feed within 6 weeks of mill date. I put my birds on multi vits before collecting eggs for hatch, and it makes an incredible improvement in the structure of the entire egg, not just the shell.

 

[Flock Leader]

Leghorns are a smaller, lighter more flighty breed. Make sure to provide enough feeder space so they are able to feed, when the larger breeds are feeding. GC

Oh, they feed all right. They probably eat twice as much as any other of my hens! They're also very good foragers.

IME, white shelled eggs often are thinner shelled and more porous. I don't place a lot of faith in commercial chicken feed. IMO, it contains the bare essentials, and even at that, often stores sell old feed, or it goes stale before a bag is used up.

I have never noticed this (about the white shelled eggs), but then, apart from the Leghorns, I only raise brown-egg layers.

Yes, I never rely on just commercial feed either. But I thought that with various scraps, greens and free-range (they have as much territory as they can cover), we should be fine. All my other hens lay eggs with beautiful, even, strong shells.

 

[Pork Pie]

I have some BLH and have never noticed a difference in shell quality when compared to my other birds. I'd agree with the posts above that it's more a function of diet (and in some cases, sickness). You may find this link interesting -
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

 

[Flock Leader]

I have some BLH and have never noticed a difference in shell quality when compared to my other birds. I'd agree with the posts above that it's more a function of diet (and in some cases, sickness). You may find this link interesting -
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

Thanks! I wonder why they are the only ones with this problem, though. Maybe because they are my most prolific layers, so they need more calcium?

 

[lazy gardener]

Perhaps.