All Flock feed issue.

[RoosterML]

After many recommendations from the very knowledgeable people of BYC I had stopped feeding layer feed and switched over to an All Flock product. Nutrena All Flock to be exact. I also have a feeder that has Purina Flock Raiser in it. I do have oyster shell on the side. I switched several months ago.
I have noticed the shell quality diminishing since the switch and I am not happy with it. I use to be able to toss an egg across the yard and not have the shell brake. Now just handling them the wrong way they would crack. Not all but some.
I have made the decision now to do a 50/50 mix to bring the shell quality back up. 50% All Flock mixed with 50% Poulin Grain Layer pellet. Since doing so about a week now I have noticed an improvement.
This should be a happy and healthy mix of food to keep everyone at peak performance with minimal long term impact if any.
Has anyone else experienced the same issue?

 

[Shadrach]

Nope. Layers feed is fine for laying hens. It's just not so good for a mixed flock.
I feed something like an all flock but I free range. I haven't noticed any problems in egg shell quality.

 

[aart]

How old are your birds, in months?
How do you offer the OS....and can you tell if they are partaking of it?

I've fed FR for 5 years, because I always have some non-layers(male, chicks, molters) in the flock and the only softshell issues I've had were with new layers and a couple with defective shell glands(that did not respond to even supplemental calcium).
I have 2 OS feeders and I regularly(when I collect enough to process) mix crushed chicken egg shells in with it. I also occasionally sprinkle some OS out along with the daily scratch grains, especially when there are new layers in the flock because they don't always 'get it' right away.

 

[RoosterML]

How old are your birds, in months?
How do you offer the OS....and can you tell if they are partaking of it?

My oldest now I would put at 16 months,prime birds. All the way down to 3 weeks.
I just had to fill the Oyster shell dish today so they do in fact take it.

 

[Shadrach]

You need to apply a bit of common sense to feeding a flock.
If you keep high production hens 250 to 350 eggs a year at peak laying age then high calcium feeds become important. Hens that only lay 100 eggs a year at peak laying age require considerably less calcium.
The same applies to protein content.
High callcium feeds are not suitable for pullets who don't lay or roosters because they can't process that higher level of calcium.
Some people have good results with feeds of 1% calcium by leaving calcium carbonate as free choice. Others find their hens don't eat enough of the free choice calcium and have shell quality problems.
Unfortunately there is a tendency for some to think that they can feed all their flock with a single feed no matter age and sex. It's more complicated than this.

 

[aart]

My oldest now I would put at 16 months,prime birds.

If it's the 16mo's are laying the weak shells it could be due to ramping down production to molt, you can get some funky eggs around molting time.
Do you have POL's too? Not unusual to get softshells(not weak shells) there.

Are the weak shelled egg funkily shaped too?

 

[RoosterML]

I have not noticed a shell shape difference really. I do have some. POL the Pullet eggs seem fine.

 

[DobieLover]

I think it may be that the hens are as yet unaccustomed to eating the OS. It sounds like the pullets have always been exposed to it? I feed a Flock Raiser type mix with both OS and ES on the side and do not have any issues with thin shells.
As @aart suggested, feed them whatever egg shells you have too. They really love them. I also agree to incorporate a bit of OS into some treats (scratch) that you toss out for them.
Do you also keep your OS dispenser near their feeder?

 

[RoosterML]

I think it may be that the hens are as yet unaccustomed to eating the OS. It sounds like the pullets have always been exposed to it? I feed a Flock Raiser type mix with both OS and ES on the side and do not have any issues with thin shells.
As @aart suggested, feed them whatever egg shells you have too. They really love them. I also agree to incorporate a bit of OS into some treats (scratch) that you toss out for them.
Do you also keep your OS dispenser near their feeder?

Yes Oyster shell and grit container both right next to feed. I have always had OS separate for them even when on just layer feed.

 

[aart]

I have not noticed a shell shape difference really. I do have some. POL the Pullet eggs seem fine.

So all the pullet eggs are fine but all the other eggs are weak?
Or is it just one or two hens that are laying weak shelled eggs?