Thin egg shells (NOT soft shell)

[NatJ]

Most days they get to free range about an hour or so before bedtime. They get the cup of scratch before they go to roost.

If you need something to lure them back into the coop, you can try wet feed (layer feed plus water) instead of the scratch.

For luring chickens somewhere, a small amount of wet feed sometimes works better than a large amount. That way they think they have to run fast to get their share.

 

[azygous]

Just as with human foods, there are healthier snacks for chickens you can substitute for scratch. I recently discovered millet seeds. They are high in protein, relatively low in calories. But the best part is they are extremely tiny seeds. My chickens are happy with just a "pinch" of seed for each, and they manage to find every single one, even though they are about the size of poppy seeds.

You can also work with your chickens to summon them with a non-food cue. I use a pet training clicker you can get at any pet store for about $1. You can train your flock to come running when they hear the clicker by initially using a favorite treat while clicking the device. I always reinforce their coming when called with a little treat. One raisin per chicken is all they expect.

Once, a predator was approaching my flock as they free ranged. I was able to summon all twenty chickens back into their secure run in about ten seconds with the clicker. It's also useful to get chickens back into the run that managed to slip out when I entered.

It takes no more than two or three days to clicker train chickens, and you can start when they are baby chicks.

 

[Mercyr79]

View attachment 3436396Get this. It goes to work quickly as it's a different form of calcium from oyster shell. Since you know whose eggs are thin shelled, push on whole tablet into her beak each day until her eggs are coming out with normal shells. When you see little calcium bumps on the shells, then you can stop giving this calcium to her and she can then rely on oyster shell again.

Hi. What if we don’t know which bird is laying the soft egg? Thank you

 

[azygous]

Hi. What if we don’t know which bird is laying the soft egg? Thank you

You are then out of luck.

 

[Magda12]

You are then out of luck.

Or you could spend more time around your flock for a bit. Try to catch the layer... Depending on how many birds you have. If you have a day you can spend watching them, just check the egg that's laid (and remove) after each bird goes in to lay. I'm very fortunate that my thin layer is the only one that lays pink/beige eggs (the rest are blue or green). We shove a calcium pill down her beak every other day and it helps (sucks to have to do but I haven't figured out another way and the problem isn't resolving on its own).

 

[13LuckyChicks]

Maybe by adding another comment to this post, it will get more attention. I don’t have anything helpful to say, but I can sympathize! I have a cream legbar that hasn’t laid a normal egg in three weeks. She lays two soft shelled eggs a week that usually get eaten before I find them in the morning. I tried to crushed a calcium/vitamin D tablet yesterday, but today I’m going to stick one down her throat. Such a bummer- she’s my only turquoise egg layer!

 

[Callender Girl]

One of my Buckeyes has been laying soft-shelled eggs. Althea roosts above the "poop hammock" and drops her eggs directly into the you-know-what.

I bought Citracal for he,r and the easiest way to get her to take it is to crush it into a powder, halve some grapes and dip the cut side into the powder. I might be more successful in the treatment if I could keep her coop mates from stealing the grapes faster than she can eat them.

Hope you get your cream legbar to eat her tablet!

 

[13LuckyChicks]

One of my Buckeyes has been laying soft-shelled eggs. Althea roosts above the "poop hammock" and drops her eggs directly into the you-know-what.

I bought Citracal for he,r and the easiest way to get her to take it is to crush it into a powder, halve some grapes and dip the cut side into the powder. I might be more successful in the treatment if I could keep her coop mates from stealing the grapes faster than she can eat them.

Hope you get your cream legbar to eat her tablet!

Very good advice! That’s what I did with pieces of tomatoes She gobbled them up!!

 

[bothpawsoff]

View attachment 3436396Get this. It goes to work quickly as it's a different form of calcium from oyster shell. Since you know whose eggs are thin shelled, push on whole tablet into her beak each day until her eggs are coming out with normal shells. When you see little calcium bumps on the shells, then you can stop giving this calcium to her and she can then rely on oyster shell again.

Hi, what if you don’t know who it is?? I’m having the same issue but all my girls are like that with the shells and now they are breaking them, not eating all the shells but I’m so lost. I have had chickens for years and this is the 1st time I’ve had issues like this.

 

[azygous]

You can solve the problem by giving all the hens a calcium tablet for a few days.