New chicken mom and freaked out.

[My Three Chicks]

Only a couple of times. Should I just be giving them all their shells back?

I feel so guilty. Until yesterday all of their shells were so hard, sometimes you could drop them without breaking them.

Can I give them some sort of liquid version so they get it in quickly?

Is the calcium citrate the same as the people supplement?

Yes same calcium citrate as human supplement. That's probably the quickest way to give them calcium.

I have 5 laying hens and I do give them all the shells from the eggs we eat. They love it. But still offer them the oyster shell because apparently the eggshell calcium doesn't stay in their bodies as long.

Don't feel bad. Sometimes even if you do the right things an occasional soft shell or shell less egg can happen.

One time I had 2 girls out of the blue start. Ended up taking them to the avian vet and he said cut out all treats. Which was so hard to do because they enjoy it so much. He said just stick to their layer feed esp because they pick up stuff (worms, greens, etc) already when they are in the yard free ranging. I did what he said and it resolved in a couple of days. I was shocked. So you may try withholding the treats for now until they get their right balance again. They don't NEED the treats.

Also I saw you feed them an All Flock. May I ask why? All Flock doesn't have the same amount of calcium you'd find in a Layer feed. That could be part of your issue.

To answer your question, all chickens react differently so it's not unusual to see one issue in a chicken that's not present in another. Just like in humans living under the same conditions.

 

[Flowerladies]

Why would worm treats cause a shell issue?

It was suggested by my neighbor and when researching, it seemed like a good option (for layers too).

That one also had lots of pre and probiotic stuff. Do you have a better recommendation?

 

[Flowerladies]

Also, how much do I give them the calcium citrate? Just ground up?
Thank you very much

 

[My Three Chicks]

Why would worm treats cause a shell issue?

It was suggested by my neighbor and when researching, it seemed like a good option (for layers too).

That one also had lots of pre and probiotic stuff. Do you have a better recommendation?

It's not the worms in particular. It's that treats should be given in a very limited amount (no more than 10% of your regular diet - or 1 tablespoon per girl per day) because they throw off the healthy nutritional balance of a chicken's diet. Just like humans. Some people believe in giving NO treats at all for this reason.

I don't have a particular brand to recommend. Just that since you have laying hens,, you should be giving them a 'layer feed'. All Flock is good if you have a mixed flock of roosters, different ages, meat birds, etc. whereby you can't give them a specific feed meant for that type/age of bird.
I personally use Scratch & Peck brand. As well as Grubbly Farm. Both are on the pricier side. There are lots of others out there.

 

[Flowerladies]

It's not the worms in particular. It's that treats should be given in a very limited amount (no more than 10% of your regular diet - or 1 tablespoon per girl per day) because they throw off the healthy nutritional balance of a chicken's diet. Just like humans. Some people believe in giving NO treats at all for this reason.

I don't have a particular brand to recommend. Just that since you have laying hens,, you should be giving them a 'layer feed'. All Flock is good if you have a mixed flock of roosters, different ages, meat birds, etc. whereby you can't give them a specific feed meant for that type/age of bird.
I personally use Scratch & Peck brand. As well as Grubbly Farm. Both are on the pricier side. There are lots of others out there.

The scratch and peck is the same amount is the one I’m getting. Yes a little pricier. But they really are just pets, eggs are a perk.
Thank you for all the explanation. I can’t stand when an animal is uncomfortable!

 

[Loving my girls]

Personally I wouldn’t worry. Young hens often take a little while to get themselves on track.
Double yolkers are a short lived gift from the youngsters - enjoy them
Make sure they always have access to grit, oyster shell is a popular cheap choice here but anything calcium rich. It helps with the shell also their bone development while young.
I’ve had hens for over 50 years and still get soft shells but very rarely. we all have an off day I guess. But if it does happen regularly you will need to find out who’s laying them.
With regard to the food, I agree with the others, you should be feeding them with layers feed (16% protein is fine) and reducing their treats (hard to do but necessary)
Enjoy your girlz
Hugz

 

[Perris]

Their eggs are still small and very hard/thick. Harder than a normal egg to crack. So I definitely didn’t think about calcium.

I agree with you. The shell-less egg was one glitch in a long series of strong shells. Ignore it unless it becomes a common occurrence.

They are eating

Manna Pro All Flock Crumbles | 16% Protein Level | Complete Feed for Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Gamebirds | Probiotics to Support Digestion | Crumbled Form for Easy Feeding​

and these as a treat…

Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae for Chickens - Non-GMO Poultry Feed Supplement, 85X More Calcium​

And of course fresh spinach/ veggie/ fruits. They forage all day between their feed.

Sounds fine to me (though I give mine real and live worm foods).

Until yesterday all of their shells were so hard, sometimes you could drop them without breaking them.

exactly. This indicates there's nothing wrong with their shells or the amount of calcium in what you are feeding.

Why would worm treats cause a shell issue?

Exactly. It doesn't.

Be aware that there are risks with too much calcium. Trust your birds to judge for themselves what they need from the varied diet and forage you already give them. One shell-less egg is not reason to change your whole approach.

 

[LaFleche]

And of course fresh spinach/

Stop the spinach and similar as it interferes with calcium uptake.

And restrict the other treats to not cause imbalance to their nutrition.

 

[LaFleche]

Are the shell issues dangerous for them?

Yes, they can lead to oviduct infection, EYP and sepsis to name a few.

 

[theoldchick]

Hopefully it's just a hiccup in the shell gland of a young hen. Continue feeding good quality layer feed and monitor her. However, this might be the beginning of an infection which can be treated with antibiotics from a veterinarian.

https://extension.uga.edu/publicati...ess occurs in the,can result in speckled eggs.