Older hen sitting in nest box but not laying

[StinkyAcres]

PS- I am on my 3rd generation of hens. One of my new ones has some type of problem so that she layed very thin shelled eggs, even though I saw her eating the calcium on the side. I mix the oil from a D3 capsule into their fermented feed (another topic), so that all of them are getting some extra D3 and I'm getting some in return from their eggs. The problem hen started laying good shells 2 days after I added the D3. I never had to force more calcium into her.

Now that is something I've never thought about when I've had a hen with egg shell issues. Adding D3 to their feed sounds like a smart (and safer) idea.

 

[TooCheep]

I learned about over consumption of calcium here on BYC. Search for "gout" and you should find info on it. I've personally suffered from gout (very, very painful) and I wouldn't wish that on any chicken.

I understand about saving money, but I consider their health to be important and I also understand that better hen health results in better egg nutrition. So that investment is at least partly to improve my own health. This is the same concept as improved nutrition for women resulting in better results for their babies.

As for the calcium, I use a combination of crushed egg shells (free) and oyster shell (cheap). If you decide to switch, just observe their eggs and see if you run into any thin shell problems. They use calcium stored in their own bones until they reach a certain minimum, at which point they create thin-shelled or no-shelled eggs.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I learned about over consumption of calcium here on BYC. Search for "gout" and you should find info on it. I've personally suffered from gout (very, very painful) and I wouldn't wish that on any chicken.

I understand about saving money, but I consider their health to be important and I also understand that better hen health results in better egg nutrition. So that investment is at least partly to improve my own health. This is the same concept as improved nutrition for women resulting in better results for their babies.

As for the calcium, I use a combination of crushed egg shells (free) and oyster shell (cheap). If you decide to switch, just observe their eggs and see if you run into any thin shell problems. They use calcium stored in their own bones until they reach a certain minimum, at which point they create thin-shelled or no-shelled eggs.

Wow, I have been thinking that my other hen has gout but couldn't figure out why she would get it. Seems like extra calcium (leading to kidney issues) is a likely cause. Now I am even more concerned that she won't recover.

Thanks though! You've been very helpful!