Advice request: Flock on New Country Organics Corn-Free Layer but some chickens w/ recurring Soft/Thin Shell Eggs

[BlueEcho]

Hi all! Looking for advice or to see if anyone else has had a similar situation and advice on next steps. (Probably more details than needed below)

Feeding Details:
Our flock has been eating New Country Organics Corn/Soy Free Layer. Been buying a month's supply from a local reseller since last May/June. We also give oyster shell and grit free choice.

Occasional treats include - Grubterra soldier fly larvae (no more than 8 oz across the flock per day, 3-5 times per week), Scrambled eggs (about 9 eggs across the flock or less weekly), Kitchen scraps (usually slightly wilted herbs or spinach leaves 1x week if that currently, will likely increase as garden grows but I look up what is safe to share with the girls)

Background Info:
Since start of spring we have been seeing some intermittent laying issues. My partner and I are wondering if maybe this is something diet change can help improve. Most girls are laying well but we are seeing some reoccurring issues with thin/soft shell eggs.

We had one girl (whiting true blue) treated by a vet after passing a soft shell membrane and possibly broken egg. She recovered for a month or two before passing without us noticing any symptoms (RIP Hawk <3).

Narrowed down a specific Andalusian who has been laying soft shell eggs off and on (coincided soft shell eggs with days she seems "not herself" over the past 3 months + collected eggs early today while monitoring and saw she was the soft shell egg layer)

Otherwise apart from some eggs that seem "thinner" and not tied to any chicken acting abnormal the rest of the flock is doing well. My partner and I are debating whether it is the food quality vs specific metabolism of certain chickens giving them trouble. We do set up multiple feeders to minimize bullying. We also check on the food level a couple times a day and refill if needed.


More details:
Mixed flock from McMurray Hatchery ~ 1 yr old:
3 Buff Orpingtons
4 Rhode Island/New Hampshire Reds
4 Wyandottes (2 silver laced, 2 columbian)
3 Andalusians
2 Anconas
2 Domoniques
2 Delawares
2 Black Stars
2 Bielefelders
1 Whiting True Blue

 

[rosemarythyme]

Since you know which bird specifically is having issues I'd try supplementing her directly with calcium citrate tablets. Depending on her laying frequency start with daily or every other day doses, and see if that helps with the shelling issue. If it does you can ease back on the frequency and see if you can maintain shell quality on a lower dosage.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When I have an issue like this I try to determine if it is an individual hen issue or a flockwide problem. The part about " some eggs that seem "thinner" and not tied to any chicken acting abnormal" bothers me a bit. I don't know if that is extensive enough to be a flockwide problem.

Looking at the analysis of that feed it seems OK but it is not a ground-up feed with the parts put back together like crumbles or pellets. It is still in its individual grains or parts. With different specific gravities it could separate into different components or a specific hen may only want to eat specific parts so their diet may not be quite as balanced as you'd want. One way around that is to feed different times of the day and only enough feed at a time that they can immediately clean it up. Make sure each hen has room at the feeder so some don't get bullied away while another hen eats her part.

The calcium content of the feed is good if that feed is all that they eat but it is not. You offer treats on the side so that dilutes the benefit of the calcium in the feed. By offering oyster shell on the side you've taken care of that problem.

I think it is an individual hen problem. Either her body is not processing the calcium she eats properly or her eating habits don't get enough calcium to start with. Just because the huge majority of hens will eat enough oyster shell to fulfill their calcium needs doesn't mean every one will.

I can't offer any better advice than Rosemary's. Determine which hen is a problem and supplement her with calcium. It might fix the problem, it might not.