bumpy sand paper eggs

[bigz1983]

I had a hen that was laying bumpy with like a sand paper texture thin shelled eggs.

I was told that when a hen lays eggs like that they means that they are going to stop laying eggs and their egg system goes into retirement.

Well I haven't got any eggs like that for a couple weeks.

Does that mean she stopped laying or is it possible her egg maker system figured it out?

 

[Birdsong 82]

I have a hen Who lays eggs that we to call sandpaper eggs. She’s laid them on and off for probably a year and a half now. I’m not an expert but I don’t know that that is a sign that they will stop laying soon. Usually when we start getting them I’ll try to add some sort of calcium boost like yogurt or extra oyster shell. It will go away after that. But there are times where they went back to normal on their own also. But with her doing that on and off for probably about a year and a half I haven’t seen any adverse effects as far as the chickens health.
When you say that you haven’t seen eggs like that for a couple weeks do you mean she stopped laying eggs or do you mean she stopped laying the sand paper eggs

 

[bigz1983]

I'm not sure how to tell if she stopped laying or not.

I have 18 hens and its hard for me to keep track who is laying or not.

 

[Birdsong 82]

I also remember reading something that this can happen to younger chickens until their system levels out. I’ve also heard it can happen when water freezes or something scares or causes a disturbance to them which causes Them to go off lay and sometimes it will affect the shell from the next few eggs. Unless it is something that happens all the time and from what you said it doesn’t then I would not be very concerned. How old is she

 

[Birdsong 82]

That is a tough one. I have that problem too if I’m finding less eggs it’s hard to tell which one it is that slacking. Especially with 16 I’ve heard of people putting food coloring on the vent so when you get the egg you can match the color to the chicken. That all seems very weird to me but I guess I see how that could work. Only other way I could think Is to be out there all day watching them. And I know that wouldn’t be possible for me and I would assume not for many people. Most of us have some things we have to do in the day other than watch her chickens go in and out of the nest box

 

[coach723]

Depending on where you live and the hens age, some are beginning to go into molt this time of year, so that could be a reason for stopping laying. Lots of things can cause glitches in the system, going in or out of lay, stress from all kinds of things like heat or predators hanging around, time of year, age of bird, change in feed, etc. If she seems healthy otherwise, I'd just keep an eye on her (check for pin feathers to see if she's in molt). I get sandpapery egg shells once in a while, it's never been a problem caused by illness for me. Make sure you have oyster shell available all the time for calcium so they can get what they need. If you are feeding a layer feed, consider switching to a flock raiser type and just having the oyster shell on the side all the time. Individual needs can vary between birds, some need more, some need less, and having it separate lets them regulate themselves. It can also prevent health problems down the road as older birds do not need as much calcium as younger birds.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Depending on where you live and the hens age, some are beginning to go into molt this time of year, so that could be a reason for stopping laying. Lots of things can cause glitches in the system, going in or out of lay, stress from all kinds of things like heat or predators hanging around, time of year, age of bird, change in feed, etc. If she seems healthy otherwise, I'd just keep an eye on her (check for pin feathers to see if she's in molt). I get sandpapery egg shells once in a while, it's never been a problem caused by illness for me. Make sure you have oyster shell available all the time for calcium so they can get what they need. If you are feeding a layer feed, consider switching to a flock raiser type and just having the oyster shell on the side all the time. Individual needs can vary between birds, some need more, some need less, and having it separate lets them regulate themselves. It can also prevent health problems down the road as older birds do not need as much calcium as younger birds.

Molt this time of year ? Didn’t know some chickens would molt so early. Every where is different I guess. For some reason mine don’t molt until almost December or January when it’s freezing. Just can’t figure them out

 

[coach723]

Molt can vary greatly based on location and individual chickens. I have one that molts very early every year, she's nearly finished right now, I have several that are about mid-molt, and many that have not started molting yet. I had one do a hard molt mid winter this last year. So, while certainly not always the 'norm' someone forgot to tell the chickens! Just one possibility that should be considered regardless of time of year. In some cases molt can be triggered by illness or stress. It may have absolutely nothing to do with what is going on, just one part of the picture to fill in.

 

[snow5164]

Not sure if I missed this information, are they on a good layer feed? Plenty of cool water ? It’s been soo hot here , that could be the problem .

If you want to give your layers a boost give them a can of tuna ( watch out they’ll kill you for it)
Or scramble some eggs just for a protein boost.

Could be a moult or just a weather issue, how old are they? And don’t feel bad when hens look the same it is difficult to tell who’s doing what and when !!