Calcium water supliment suggestions needed

[chickenray]

Hi All... At wits end here with a soft egg issue with a 16 mo/old BO. Over a month now and only a few normal eggs (the normal ones are nice and thick)... 98% are soft. Giving oyster shell. Switched from mash to crumbles thinking she might be a picky eater. Stopped treats for over a week as a trial, back to scraps now. Nothing is changing except the amount of ants in the coup. Most soft eggs come at night on the roust... some in nest box. She does seem to poo more than her RIR sister (only two hens in our little coup).

The only thing I can think of is to add calcium supplement to water. Anyone try this?

Also, anyone have this just go on forever? Do I now have a extra messy pet?

Thanks in advance...

 

[Happy Chooks]

Is the oyster shell in the feed or free choice? If it's free choice, do you see it disappearing?

 

[chickenray]

The mash I formerly was feeding them had it mixed in. When this started a month ago I provided the oyster shell free choice and yes it was disappearing but the BO was still laying soft eggs. I have started just throwing it in the run with some mash for them to have to peck at now that I switched to crumbles.

My thought with adding calcium to the water was that she would have no choice that way. My other hen is having no problems so I know the calcium is available in there diet...

 

[chickenray]

I am specifically interested to know if anyone has tried a calcium supplement in water and if so what did they use and did it work?

 

[chickenray]

Found a product called CalciBoost.... will try it and see if it helps. Still would appreciate any input re this...

 

[featherbaby]

I've got one silky hen that only lays papershell eggs. I've done the same things you have and she hasn't laid a hard shell yet. I have some calci-boost that I put on their soft food treats. I was thinking of putting a drop of it directly in her beak. Anybody know if that would work? I even powdered a cuttle bone over their treat scraps a few times. All the other hens are doing fine.

 

[chickenray]

thanks for the reply featherbaby.... it could just be that she'll never lay right again but I am trying everything. I think this will be the last option before I give up.

Plan to put the CalciBoost in the water. Our other hen will get it too so I think I will keep the dose pretty small. Our lot is too small to segregate the girls...

It will be a few days until the CalciBoost arrives then I figure a week to see any changes... Will keep posted and please anyone with any-other experience with this, chime in.

 

[snowflake]

Hi! Back yard Poultry has an article on egg problems and it states Phosphorus as a cause for thin shells. biochar or defluorinated rock phosphate (don't know what that is) bio char is burnt wood chunks. I have a BO also that is laying thin shelled eggs(she just went broody again) found a piece of biochar, so I put it in the coop area by the oyster shell. You might give it a try>Back Yard Poultry Aug., Sept. isue.

 

[featherbaby]

Thanks, I'll check it out. Any other suggestions? I want to keep this hen, she's a very pretty blue silkie but I want her to lay good eggs.

 

[Imp]

Here's some info about thin shelled eggs:

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

And some other good sources of calcium to think about

1.Spinach
2.Turnip greens
3.Mustard greens
4.Collard greens
5.Blackstrap molasses
6.Swiss chard
7.Yogurt
8.Kale
9.Mozzarella cheese
10.Milk (goat's milk and cow's milk)
11.Basil, thyme, dill seed, cinnamon, and peppermint leaves
12.Romaine lettuce
13.Rhubarb
14.
15.Broccoli
16.Sesame seeds
17.Fennel
18.Cabbage
19.Summer squash
20.Green beans
21.Garlic
22.Tofu
23.Brussel sprouts
24.Oranges
25.Asparagus
26.Crimini mushrooms

Some people don't feed their chickens citrus, and molasses can cause diarrhea

I used to sprinkle a little powdered milk on their treats occasionally.
And you could cook and crumble their eggshells and feed back to them.

Good luck

Imp