Shell-less egg question

[Pollo Posada]

Hey everyone. Yesterday I only found 1 egg and 2 shell-less eggs. Today I found 3 shell-less eggs. What is going on???

My girls are still pullets and only started laying eggs on April 1st. Is it normal to regress like this?

They are free-range chickens during the day, are on layer rations and cracked corn, have access to food and water all day long.

They do not seem sick or anything. But, I am freaking out a bit. I have no useable eggs!!! What can I do? Is there something wrong here or is this normal with younger chickens?

Please help me wiser chicken gurus! I am very upset about this!

 

[bantamsrus]

They are commonly produced by pullets coming into lay, particularly by birds that have matured early.

Should resolve by 1-2 weeks as long as they are on an adequate diet (which it sounds like they are).

 

[countrygirlatheart]

don't feel bad, i'm in the same boat. Look up my forum Help!! Soft shell//No yolk eggs!! I'm hoping the

wonderful gurus here will help me as well. Just know that you are not alone!!

 

[velittlechik]

Yes our chickens had several like that at first too, I believe it is normal. It is kind of weird they started to form and then stopped. I stopped seeing any after the first month of laying.

 

[sewchick]

Do you have oyster shell for them. Mine will do that if it gets low. Hope it works out for you.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My post seems to have been lost. Probably operator error.

Check out this site. It may help.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

 

[Pollo Posada]

Yes, I do put out oyster shell for them. I put some out there for them to access every other day or so.

Thanks, everyone, I feel better now. I was getting such beautiful pink and green eggs for the last week and so when I saw this, I freaked out a bit!

I did find one mashed in the box. I am hoping it was stepped on and not tasted! I quickly cleaned it up and scrubbed out the box. I don't need egg-eating on top of this!

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

I had this issue too in February - my girls had been laying and then a rash of shell-less eggs began, and I was freely offering oyster shell at the time. Someone suggested to me that there might be a vitamen deficiency creating a problem with absorbing the calcium, and they suggested Avia 2000 Charge, a vitamen you mix in their water. I got some and have been giving it to my chickens. I saw improvement almost immediately, and I haven't had a shell-less egg in at least a month now. I am also putting ACV in another waterer; I read that this also improves calcium absorption. I got my Avia 2000 Charge from Murray McMurray.

 

[Lou Bird]

I have had that happen also. But now I have one hen that is laying a real thin shelled egg. So thin that it will break most of the time before I can get to the house.The other 5 hens lay a normal shell egg.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Just like all people don't absorb nutrients like calcium in the same way, so too for chickens.
If you are already offering oyster shell, you can try putting a vitamin supplement in their water to increase her absorption of the calcium. To properly absorb and utilize calcium you also need vitamin D.
Welcome to BYC!