Broken eggs, thin shelled

[elchickenfan12]

Hey all! Long time listener, first time caller.

In April 2022, we received our flock...16 Rhode Island Red hens from Murray McMurray. At around the 19 week mark we started getting eggs. Not too long after we were in full swing, averaging 14-16 eggs a day. During this time, the egg quality was good for the most part, but occasionally we were getting a shell-less egg (inner membrane only...often salvageable). But all in all...all good.

Fast forward to February 2023, and we started noticing broken eggs in the boxes...typically 2 (outer shell exists, but paper thin). Since the hens all pretty much look the same and we are not able to babysit their laying rhythms, I cannot tell who the culprits are.

This problem continues to this day. Our flock has free access to a small area of pasture grass/weeds (natural and wild, untreated with any inputs), free access to their layer feed, and free access to oyster shell. Over the past six months we've tried switching layer feeds, and supplementing in the evenings with some kale and soldier fly larvae (both homegrown, completely free of any chemicals). I have to assume the two hens who are struggling with the shell issues are simply ignoring the oyster shell at this point.

I'm out of ideas...anyone have any suggestion as to what my next steps could be? Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Kellow1]

Hey all! Long time listener, first time caller.

In April 2022, we received our flock...16 Rhode Island Red hens from Murray McMurray. At around the 19 week mark we started getting eggs. Not too long after we were in full swing, averaging 14-16 eggs a day. During this time, the egg quality was good for the most part, but occasionally we were getting a shell-less egg (inner membrane only...often salvageable). But all in all...all good.

Fast forward to February 2023, and we started noticing broken eggs in the boxes...typically 2 (outer shell exists, but paper thin). Since the hens all pretty much look the same and we are not able to babysit their laying rhythms, I cannot tell who the culprits are.

This problem continues to this day. Our flock has free access to a small area of pasture grass/weeds (natural and wild, untreated with any inputs), free access to their layer feed, and free access to oyster shell. Over the past six months we've tried switching layer feeds, and supplementing in the evenings with some kale and soldier fly larvae (both homegrown, completely free of any chemicals). I have to assume the two hens who are struggling with the shell issues are simply ignoring the oyster shell at this point.

I'm out of ideas...anyone have any suggestion as to what my next steps could be? Thanks in advance for any input.

I feed a layer feed pellets with the oyster shells in the feed. Made by Purina.

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Hey all! Long time listener, first time caller.

In April 2022, we received our flock...16 Rhode Island Red hens from Murray McMurray. At around the 19 week mark we started getting eggs. Not too long after we were in full swing, averaging 14-16 eggs a day. During this time, the egg quality was good for the most part, but occasionally we were getting a shell-less egg (inner membrane only...often salvageable). But all in all...all good.

Fast forward to February 2023, and we started noticing broken eggs in the boxes...typically 2 (outer shell exists, but paper thin). Since the hens all pretty much look the same and we are not able to babysit their laying rhythms, I cannot tell who the culprits are.

This problem continues to this day. Our flock has free access to a small area of pasture grass/weeds (natural and wild, untreated with any inputs), free access to their layer feed, and free access to oyster shell. Over the past six months we've tried switching layer feeds, and supplementing in the evenings with some kale and soldier fly larvae (both homegrown, completely free of any chemicals). I have to assume the two hens who are struggling with the shell issues are simply ignoring the oyster shell at this point.

I'm out of ideas...anyone have any suggestion as to what my next steps could be? Thanks in advance for any input.

If you don't give them free choice oyster shell or mix it in the feed I would start doing that

 

[elchickenfan12]

I feed a layer feed pellets with the oyster shells in the feed. Made by Purina.

Thanks for the reply. Is the oyster actually in each pellet, or is just a bag of pellets and oyster shells mixed together?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Have you tried mixing some crushed eggshell into the oyster shell container? Some birds prefer eggshell instead of oyster shell.

 

[Oob Child]

I think calcium should fix it. Try mixing some calcium dust in with their food, and make sure to supply crushed oyster shells on the side.

 

[elchickenfan12]

Have you tried mixing some crushed eggshell into the oyster shell container? Some birds prefer eggshell instead of oyster shell.

Yeah, we were giving eggshells on a regular basis (stopped a couple of months ago), but some of my research showed that the eggshell calcium content was much lower than oyster shell. When I was providing the eggshells, none of the hens would touch the oyster shell so I opted to pull the eggshells for the time being since I wanted them to pick the higher calcium option.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yeah, we were giving eggshells on a regular basis (stopped a couple of months ago), but some of my research showed that the eggshell calcium content was much lower than oyster shell. When I was providing the eggshells, none of the hens would touch the oyster shell so I opted to pull the eggshells for the time being since I wanted them to pick the higher calcium option.

When you were doing eggshells were you still having shell quality issues? I do note my girls picking out eggshells first, but the oyster shell gets taken after.

Since you're using layer feed you're already adding calcium back into the equation. In that case eggshell alone may be enough, on top of the extra calcium in the feed (or if you have problems with providing enough eggshell all the time, that's where oyster can help make up the difference).

 

[Smokerbill]

I've been having problems with soft shells. I pulverized some oyster shells in an old coffee grinder to give my pullets. For my 8 birds I combine about a cup of layer pellets with a heaping teaspoon of the pulverized oyster shells and add some water to make mash. I give it to them first thing in the morning, and they gobble it down.

I'm giving this to them once a day for a week to get their calcium levels up. After that I'll see how they do with their layer feed and oyster shells on the side, always available.

 

[aart]

What exact kind of layer feed, protein, calcium, formulation(pellet, crumble, cracked grains)?