1 year old chicken with calcium deposits on outside and inside and sometimes soft eggs

[ktlevenick]

I have a 1 year old chicken who lays light green eggs, about 5-6 a week. She has always had calcium deposits on the pointed end of the egg so I figured she was getting plenty of Ca in her diet but three times in the last two months she has laid an egg that was soft and broke easily or was crushed in the nest due to softness. I have also recently noticed that my scrambled eggs had very slight crunch as if there was a shell bit in there. When I cracked her egg for breakfast this morning, I realized that there were what appeared to be the same small dots of calcium that I see outside her egg. She is my only green egg layer so I know it was from her egg. What can I do? What is causing this? She is fed egg layer food with oyster shell but is able to be out all day and can free range in our yard and also really enjoys table scraps.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

She may be gobbling too much oyster shell and not digesting it well. Some hens do far better on just the layer feed. I have a Cream Legbar-Barnevelder olive egger that only does well on pure layer feed. She doesn't seem to digest any calcium supplements well.

Is she an EE? I've had problems with EE egg quality too. The blue shell genetics can be a bit trickier, and I think the breeding sometimes focuses on color rather than quality.

If you can, I'd take up the calcium shell for a week to see if things improve. Usually hens are fine on layer alone.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[Perris]

I have one similar so will be watching this thread with interest

 

[aart]

If you can, I'd take up the calcium shell for a week to see if things improve. Usually hens are fine on layer alone.

This^^^
... so cut out all table scraps too.

 

[ktlevenick]

Yes, she is an Easter Egger and actually my hubby told me he just started adding the oyster shell. She is definitely the biggest fan of table scraps so maybe more of her actual food will help. I will keep you posted!