Too many eggs!

[LalaP]

Hi all. My 4 yo Australorp Bertie has always been a consistent layer but lately she is laying 2 eggs a day and 1 is in the nest box with a thin but acceptable shell and the second is under the roost with a very fragile thin shell.. always broken. She eats a quality layer feed and eats egg shells (she prefers egg shells to oyster shells) but it’s not enough calcium to support so many eggs. What can I do?

 

[azygous]

Get at least 600mg. You give it whole by prying open the beak and shoving it in. Chickens swallow large pills effortlessly.

 

[aart]

Calcium Citrate with Vit D-3 is what's recommended....it's a human product readily available wherever supplements are sold.
@azygous knows way more about this than I do.

 

[LalaP]

Seeing an occasional spot of blood on the roost can happen.
Sometimes it's more than shown here, can be rather alarming.
Sometimes you find the wound, most times you don't.
Could be a toe or nail, or peck to a comb during the RoostTimeRumble.

Ok thank you. I’ll chalk it up to one of those mystery wounds and bad timing with Bertie’s egg issues. As always I appreciate the help and expertise of you core members of the forum. It’s a better world for chickens and keepers with you in it!

 

[aart]

eats egg shells (she prefers egg shells to oyster shells) but it’s not enough calcium to support so many eggs.

Mix the oyster shells in with the egg shells.....or give her a calcium supplement directly.

 

[azygous]

Give daily until she's laying one egg per day with a normal shell.

 

[LalaP]

Give daily until she's laying one egg per day with a normal shell.

Thank you! I really appreciate your help… so does Bertie.

 

[aart]

This blood could only come from her or one other hen.

Seeing an occasional spot of blood on the roost can happen.
Sometimes it's more than shown here, can be rather alarming.
Sometimes you find the wound, most times you don't.
Could be a toe or nail, or peck to a comb during the RoostTimeRumble.

 

[LalaP]

Mix the oyster shells in with the egg shells.....or give her a calcium supplement directly.

Ok do you have a recommendation on a calcium supplement? Are we talking about a product for chickens or human calcium supplements? I have a supplement with calcium, magnesium, zinc and D3 all together. Can I give her that?

 

[LalaP]

Calcium Citrate with Vit D-3 is what's recommended....it's a human product readily available wherever supplements are sold.
@azygous knows way more about this than I do.

Ok thank you