Calcium deficiency?

[PeachyPeckers]

Don't do powder and don't give her an option to refuse, push calcium citrate tablets or pills, whole, into her mouth. Until you force her to take consistent doses you won't have an answer if this is a calcium deficiency or a shelling gland issue. If it's the latter there is no real fix for it, but at least you'll know for sure that adding calcium won't make a difference.

I did force feed her calcium pills and she got better for about a week but after I stopped forcing the calcium, she's having the same problem. I posted another update today at the end of this thread. The only thing that seems to fix the soft shells is when I force feed a calcium pill. I don't want to have to do that everyday. She's already started to hate me lol

 

[rosemarythyme]

I did force feed her calcium pills and she got better for about a week but after I stopped forcing the calcium, she's having the same problem. I posted another update today at the end of this thread. The only thing that seems to fix the soft shells is when I force feed a calcium pill. I don't want to have to do that everyday. She's already started to hate me lol

You're probably going to have to, because if that fixed it, then she clearly needs the extra calcium to continue producing solid shells.

Oh, and forgot to add, obviously if she goes into molt and stops laying, discontinue extra calcium at that time.

 

[Kiki]

I did force feed her calcium pills and she got better for about a week but after I stopped forcing the calcium, she's having the same problem. I posted another update today at the end of this thread. The only thing that seems to fix the soft shells is when I force feed a calcium pill. I don't want to have to do that everyday. She's already started to hate me lol

Stop feeding the treats. Feed her a layer type feed only.

 

[PeachyPeckers]

You're probably going to have to, because if that fixed it, then she clearly needs the extra calcium to continue producing solid shells.

Oh, and forgot to add, obviously if she goes into molt and stops laying, discontinue extra calcium at that time.

Ugh she used to eat crushed egg shells like nobody's business. Idk why she's stopped eating them and refuses anything else I offer. I read that chia seeds are high in calcium and she gobbled them up right away! Unfortunately it's not enough calcium, she'd have to eat like 50 tablespoons of seeds a day lol

 

[ChickyMudder]

My BR is about 17 months old, so over 1 year old. For the past month or 2 she has been laying eggs with dark spot on the top (or bottom?). Sometimes the spot is bigger and sometimes it's smaller. Sometimes the eggs are very pale and the dark spot is really noticeable. Sometimes the egg has good color and the spot is barely noticeable. See Picture.

I have been struggling to get her to eeatdried crushed egg or oyster shells. She used to eat the egg shells but I noticed that she is snubbing the egg AND oyster shells. She won't even take any from my hand. She doesn't want to eat the Calcium supplements I geuss? I didnt really think anything of it because I assumed if she needs it she'll eat it.

Yesterday she laid a soft shell egg and the shell was all cracked immediately after it was laid. The shell feels like mushy.
See picture.

I crushed up a tums and feed to her in some mash up fresh blueberries. She was hesitant but I got her to eat it from my hand. She normally loves blueberries.

Last night in her sleep, she laid another soft shell. I came out this morning to find the egg broken under the roosting bars.

Is there anything I can do for her? Maybe more tums? How much should I giver her? What would cause that dark spot and discoloration of the egg? I have egg shells and oyster shells out as free choice but she just refuses to eat it. My other chickens are coming into laying age and I see the eating the shells all the time.

Could it be something else and not a calcium deficiency? What else can I give her for calcium?

Following. I have one hen laying an egg with a spot on top