Black Sex Link/Hybrids - Fragile egg shells

[CSDeVault]

One of the chickens in my flock is a black sex link. Despite having access to supplemental calcium from oyster shells and despite that no other chicken in the flock has fragile egg shells, this chicken lays eggs with the weakest shells, many times the yolk breaks...the shell is so weak, you have to be careful how much pressure you use when you pick it up...I think this is a byproduct of hybridization...I would rather have a chicken that lays 240-260 eggs than one that lays 300 a year but can’t process enough calcium to create firm eggs...thoughts?

 

[nuthatched]

It is most likely a reproduction problem, hens of all breeds can get these problems. It could be a genetics problem, however, sex links are just mixed breeds not real hybrids (a Rhode Island/Plymouth Barred Rock cross). Always subtract 50 from whatever number of eggs they say a certain hens lay a year for a more realistic number.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

It's most likely just a flaw. It's not from being a hybrid. I have an ameraucanaXleghorn with the same problem

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think this is a byproduct of hybridization

I don't. This kind of problem can happen with any breed or cross.

thoughts?

How old is this chicken? How long has she been laying? How many eggs like this has she laid? Has she ever laid an egg with a good shell?

Sometimes a pullet just starting to lay can lay some weird eggs. Putting the egg together in her internal egg making factory is pretty complicated. Not all pullets get all that right when they first start. So what is her laying history?

Some hens have flaws. For various reasons their internal egg making factory just doesn't work right. There may be a problem with how their shell gland works. Some hens don't process the calcium they eat as they should. Some may not have the instincts to eat the oyster shell that most hens do.

If it is a pullet just starting to lay give her a week or two, maybe she will straighten out. If it is a hen that has always laid eggs like this there is probably something wrong with her. If she has been laying eggs with a good shell and this is a one off occurrence, see what her next egg is like. I figure we are all entitled to an occasional oops but if it a regular occurrence then you do have a problem.

 

[CSDeVault]

I don't. This kind of problem can happen with any breed or cross.


How old is this chicken? How long has she been laying? How many eggs like this has she laid? Has she ever laid an egg with a good shell?

Sometimes a pullet just starting to lay can lay some weird eggs. Putting the egg together in her internal egg making factory is pretty complicated. Not all pullets get all that right when they first start. So what is her laying history?

Some hens have flaws. For various reasons their internal egg making factory just doesn't work right. There may be a problem with how their shell gland works. Some hens don't process the calcium they eat as they should. Some may not have the instincts to eat the oyster shell that most hens do.

If it is a pullet just starting to lay give her a week or two, maybe she will straighten out. If it is a hen that has always laid eggs like this there is probably something wrong with her. If she has been laying eggs with a good shell and this is a one off occurrence, see what her next egg is like. I figure we are all entitled to an occasional oops but if it a regular occurrence then you do have a problem.

Shee

 

[CSDeVault]

She is on her 3rd year of laying. All her eggs are like this.

 

[Ridgerunner]

She is on her 3rd year of laying. All her eggs are like this.

Since all the others are laying good eggs there is something wrong with her. It is an individual problem, not a flockwide problem. I don't like to treat the entire flock when there is nothing wrong with the others, I don't want to mess them up.

With my goals and my flock I'd get rid of her. That's not always an option for others. I have no experience treating an individual for that but if I remember right @azygous does.

 

[aart]

I have no experience treating an individual for that but if I remember right @azygous does.

So does @rosemarythyme

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Correlation is not Causation - and if there were some genetic flaw in the bird affecting the way it processed calcium, you'd have seen it before year three.
Also, you mentioned yolk breaking? Is that a typo/accidental word substitution, or do you truly mean weak yolks - because that has nothing to due with calcium whatsoever.


Based on what you've written, I join the others in suspecting its most likely an individual reproductive problem - for which the various Sex Link "breeds" are famous after the first couple years of production. As egg layers, they burn the proverbial candle at both ends - a reduced healthy and productive lifespan is not unexpected. Treat the individual, or stew/sausage and replace.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I agree with the others - eggshell issues can be seen in all breeds. If she was younger I'd feed her additional calcium to see if that would fix it but since this has been going on most of her laying life, the defect is internal, maybe the shelling gland or something.