Chalky eggs

[Susan Skylark]

I’m assuming this is a problem with a particular bird, but I’m getting a bright blue egg with a brittle chalky shell, any pressure causes an indent but doesn’t rupture the membrane, all other eggs are fine, it has been daily or every other day for a few weeks so not just an occasional fluke, the main problem with group housing is figuring out your problem birds! I’m feeding a 3.5% calcium layer feed any I’m not getting multiples on any given day so not a flock wide calcium issue. Anyone else ever see this in a particular coturnix quail? Curious if it is genetic of 5is bird just has a wonky repro tract.

 

[Udderend]

It sounds like we have the same problem. I have a single Coturnix that free ranges my house. She is probably about two years old. Her eggshells are always chalky, and the minute they are laid they begin to form a little circular crack, an indent, at the small end, which pops open within 10-15 minutes, the membrane having shrunk down into the shell. It's so weird, and frustrating as I would prefer to accumulate a nice meal of egg, instead of having to consume miniscule morsels at safe intervals. She drops the eggs on a soft dog bed, and never pecks them. It's a true structural failure caused by some atmospheric/metabolic phenomenon.