Silkie laying soft shell eggs

[Boergoatlover]

Hello

I’m hoping you will all be able to share you knowledge with me. One of my young silkies has been laying very soft eggs, she started laying last summer. the eggs have the most thin shell and brown specks (I’ve attached a photo) yesterday the egg came out in bits because the shell is so fragile. I’m booking her in for the vet this week but I’d be grateful if any ideas as to what I could do. I think she may have a calcium deficiency so I’ve given her 2ml of Zolcol D today. However if she was a human I think you’d say she had some form of connective tissue issue, she’s saggy everywhere, she has saggy skin around her chin, her crop sags and when she goes to the toilet she prolapses but touch wood this always goes back in on its own.


. I originally have been feeding my girls a mixed feed (Garvo) layers, corn, grit , shrimp but after closely watching I realise they pick all the yummy bits out and leave the layers.

They have mixed grit but they don’t really eat this (I’m wondering if it’s too big ) multivitamin in their water and in the afternoons they get grapes and broccoli etc they can also free range in the garden.

I thought I’d start with changing the diet first to see if it is just a nutrient imbalance , should I literally feed them layers or should I also add in corn etc ? Would you advise I do the Zolcol daily and if so how long. I’m going to ask the vet if we can cover her with antibiotics just to be on the safe side too. I do have some antibiotics at home (Baytril) although in the fridge they are about 2 months old should I give her some before I get to the vet (my chicken vet is not in until the end of the week so it might be a 5day wait for the vet)

I don’t want to rush for an implant as hens I have had implanted before have been really really poorly after it.

Thank you

 

[Boergoatlover]

Sorry I forgot to add I have a mycroplasma positive flock In not sure if this could be affecting the eggs

 

[coach723]

The first thing I would do is put her (all of them) on a balanced feed, layer or all flock, and cut out all the extras. Corn is really not good for them and can make them fat and cause deficiencies. Some greens, those high in oxalates, can inhibit calcium absorption, and some birds are more susceptible than others. It's pretty common for them to pick out bits they like and leave the rest, resulting in deficiencies. In addition to calcium there are many trace nutrients that can affect shell quality. I would give her some calcium once a day for a couple of weeks to see if it helps firm up the shells. The Zolcal should help if she's taking it in, and the calcium is the problem. Yes, mycoplasma can affect egg production and shell quality.