Are my girls lacking in something???

[Ravenxxx]

Well all is going well my girls are settling in fine, loving the freedom during the day and with the weather warming up they have been sunbathing!

Anyway one of my four girls has decided to lay her eggs on my straw bales in the stable and not in her coop like the rest, not really a problem.

The other evening the girls was heading in and said chicken was under my bench with a egg, on inspection it had no shell!! ive heard about this and sometimes it happens yes??? I did find the empty shell, which i blamed my dog for stealing and eating ealier but it was just a shell.

Now this said hen has been laying white eggs not pure white but certainly not the tan colour like the others. Although the last three days no eggs form her.

And this morning i was having some scrambled egg when one i picked up was like a rubber ball when i went to crack it!!!

ARE MY GIRLS LACKING SOMETHING OR DOES THESE THINGS HAPPEN SOMETIMES?

My girls are feed on layers pellets and also handfull mixed corn. They are free to roam around the stable yard during the day and in at night.

 

[justusnak]

Sounds to me they might need calcium....you can get oyster shell....crushed at most feed stores. Just put a small pan out for the to free feed on. This should make her eggs harder again.

 

[keljonma]

Like already mentioned, try providing oyster shell free choice 24/7. Don't put it in their feed, but in a separate container. They will eat it as they need it. Don't feed too much corn; it can make your girls fat, which can present laying problems. It also lowers the protein level of the layer feed.

Some girls lay lighter or darker eggs than others. Even our white egg layers lay eggs that are various shades of white. Our Silver Lakenvelder lays a white egg that has a touch of pink to it. Our Partridge Plymouth Rock is a brown egg layer who lays an egg that is more mauve than brown.

Rubbery eggs are usually the membrane without the hard shell coating. Sometimes this can happen if two eggs are laid within 24 hours of each other. Also, if your girls are just starting to lay, it is not unusual for a couple to be different in size and color or without the shell.

I've heard that shell-less eggs could also be caused by vitamin D deficiency. The birds need the sun every day to process vitamin D. Since your girls are getting in some great sunbathing now, it will help.

Let us know if you still see the problem after adding the oyster shell and they have had some days in the sun.



if edited, probably for typos..

 

[JamesC]

There are really two possible problems. The need for additional calcium has been outlined well. The other problem could be the hen's ability, or inability, to metabolize calcium.
If you find after a while that the addition of oyster shell alone has not fixed the problem try adding 1 tablespoon/gallon of Apple Cider Vinegar to the birds' water supply. ACV will provide many things, among them is phosphorus which the bird's system needs to efficiently absorb calcium. A good layer ration will contain phosphorus but a little extra, like a little extra calcium, won't do any harm and ACV will likely do some good.
The colour change you noticed in your brown egg layers is the first sign that they need more calcium, then if they don't get what they need, the problem progresses to eggs without shells.

James

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

I have noticed this happens with younger chickens that are just beginning to lay, also you seem to get a lot of double yolks early on. Once their reproductive system matures usually this will decrease or not be a problem. The calcium is a good idea since they deplete so much while laying.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

Here is a site that shows effects of vitamin/mineral deficienies, as well as general disease info:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/31.html

Hope it helps

 

[Ravenxxx]

Quote:
Yes my girls are young and just started to lay, we have had a few double yolks too!!

 

[Ravenxxx]

Thanks for everyones advice, i will buy some osyter shell today for them, and fingers crossed all will be well again!!

 

[CarriBrown]

Quote:
How much do you add to the water?

 

[bantymum]

I was told by a "chicken expert" never to feed corn in spring.I have forgotten why, maybe someone else has heard this too?
also if they are just coming in to lay after winter you can get a couple of these funny eggs. I did!!
Helen