Calcium supplement for hens who don't like oyster shell

[SarahGfa]

I feed my hens Layena layer crumble, which has calcium, and they also have a feeder full of oyster shell. I also put crush egg shells out for whoever wants it. There is one hen who keeps laying soft and thin-shell eggs, and I am not sure if she is eating the supplements. She is a production breed who lays giant eggs almost every day, even through winter, and has never gone through a molt. Is there another way to make sure she gets enough calcium? The other hens are fine and lay normal eggs.

 

[micstrachan]

Hi Sarah,
You can certainly try direct dosing her with calcium to see if it helps. Calcium citrate +D3 would be a good option. Even tums might help. Sardines that still have the bones could be another option.

It’s also possible her shell gland has been damaged. How old is she? Has she suffered from any respiratory illness, even mild ones?

 

[SarahGfa]

Hi Sarah,
You can certainly try direct dosing her with calcium to see if it helps. Calcium citrate +D3 would be a good option. Even tums might help. Sardines that still have the bones could be another option.

It’s also possible her shell gland has been damaged. How old is she? Has she suffered from any respiratory illness, even mild ones?

I have calcium and D3 supplements for humans. Is it possible to overdose?

She is about 2 years old and has never been sick, that I know of. It is just this year she has been having problems laying soft eggs. Last year every egg had a good shell.

 

[micstrachan]

I have calcium and D3 supplements for humans. Is it possible to overdose?

She is about 2 years old and has never been sick, that I know of. It is just this year she has been having problems laying soft eggs. Last year every egg had a good shell.

I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. I have a tiny (less than 3 pounds) pullet and I just gave her human calcium citrate +D3 for 4 days in a row for the same problem. I’m going free to stop until I learn more about dosing.

 

[SarahGfa]

I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. I have a tiny (less than 3 pounds) pullet and I just gave her human calcium citrate +D3 for 4 days in a row for the same problem. I’m going free to stop until I learn more about dosing.

Thank you, I will try that for a few days. I hope your pullet feels better soon.

 

[Folly's place]

Find out what the proper dose is first!
If she's having a problem, it might be temporary, so doing nothing isn't a bad choice here.
Do you feed other things besides the Layena? Is she getting too many treats, or do your birds have mites or lice? Check them at night while roosting, with a flashlight.
High producing hens do have more reproductive issues, and weren't selected for longevity, so she may have a health issue.
Mary

 

[Fluffyflufffluff]

I feed my hens Layena layer crumble, which has calcium, and they also have a feeder full of oyster shell. I also put crush egg shells out for whoever wants it. There is one hen who keeps laying soft and thin-shell eggs, and I am not sure if she is eating the supplements. She is a production breed who lays giant eggs almost every day, even through winter, and has never gone through a molt. Is there another way to make sure she gets enough calcium? The other hens are fine and lay normal eggs.

There's actually a lot of things you can do about that, supplements are one thing, we put calcium powder in what they drink too. That seems to work as well...

 

[SarahGfa]

Find out what the proper dose is first!
If she's having a problem, it might be temporary, so doing nothing isn't a bad choice here.
Do you feed other things besides the Layena? Is she getting too many treats, or do your birds have mites or lice? Check them at night while roosting, with a flashlight.
High producing hens do have more reproductive issues, and weren't selected for longevity, so she may have a health issue.
Mary

They free range, so they eat a lot of grass and bugs too. I dusted her with permethrin today as a precaution, thanks for the tip.

I hope it is not a health issue, but I will do what I can.

 

[arkansas_ash]

I've had the same problem in some of my adult hens at two years of age, too. The eggs were fragile and sometimes they would break in the nest box when another hen would get in to lay, or drip out as I cracked one into the frying pan. Eventually all of my five hens had this problem. I provided oyster shell which they didn't seem interested in, but they did eat the crumbled egg shells I gave them. Good tip on the calcium and Vitamin D additives, which I too will try next time this happens as this was the reason I got rid of the hens (Rhode Island Reds).

 

[SarahGfa]

Layer pellets are 4% calcium, so a hen that eats 1/4 pound of layer feed a day will eat 4.5 grams of calcium. That is the equivalent of 9 human calcium pills, or 15 glasses of milk. That is ALOT of calcium. Can someone check my math?

https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-layena-pellets