Chicken Dropping Bombs!! - Newbie

[AsanumaGardens]

The first two girls in our flock of 13 began laying a month ago and we were so incredibly excited. They have both had no problem laying in a nesting box, and have been consistent layers. Our Easter Egger, Aire, has been laying for 24 days now, and in the first 21 she gave us 17 healthy eggs in the nesting box. But then three days ago she dropped an Egg Bomb from her spot on the roost!

You can see here that the egg shell was brittle and soft. Most of the other girls are molting right now, so we have them on a diet that is higher in protein. I was worried this may have been depriving Aire from getting enough calcium, so we put out some oyster shells in a separate hopper. The next day (yesterday), she left us an egg IN the nesting box, but it was deformed. The shell was more brittle than those on her previous eggs have been, and had a weird pinched circle on one side. The yolk and albumen were normal (and delicious.)

Then today, I went out to ANOTHER egg bomb! I wont put you through another poopy picture, but once again, the shell was very thin and "soft." It also appears her poop was mushy both those days, although, I'm not sure if this might have been caused by the raw egg seeping into it, because they were certainly mixed.

Is this just a calcium deficiency problem that will sort itself out now that we've put out an additional calcium source?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Not a calcium problem at all. The eggs being dropped from the roosts are because new layers haven't learned to hold eggs in during the night.

Soft shelled eggs are eggs that came out too soon due to stress of some sort, either fear based or from the new sensations, I think many just start pushing too early.

They funky looking egg is a glitch in the system. One of my Easter eggers laid a funky egg for about 2 month last year before it straightened out.

Always keep a separate bowl of oyster shells so you don't need to worry about calcium needs, they will consume them as necessary.

I found way more shell defects when I fed a layer. They would get too much calcium. I prefer them to self regulate their consumption.

 

[AsanumaGardens]

@oldhenlikesdogs Should I be concerned at all that she wasn't doing this for 3 weeks and it has now just started? Here is a pic of what her previous 17 eggs have looked like vs. the glitch.

 

[Star and eclipsa]

Cute dog. What breed?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

No, mine started out fine than went goofy for a while. It's very similar to use human females, some of us need time to regulate our own cycles when we start up. There's so much hormonal interplay that goes into ovulation and reproduction. With chickens you also need to add in all that extra stuff like shell making and yolk and white making. I'm always surprised how most get it right.

 

[Birdinhand]

I got some very strange looking eggs this year with some new layers and eventually it all straightened out, my guess is that it probably will for you as well. I'd second the having a little dish of oyster shells available just to be extra sure on that front.

 

[AsanumaGardens]

@oldhenlikesdogs Ok, that makes me feel better. We will definitely keep a source of calcium available to the girls from now on.
I do have a few questions form your first post. We recently moved the tractor that the girls roost in to a new spot where they would get more sun during the winter. Could this trigger a stressful reaction? Also, you said that you prefer not to use pre-mixed feeds, what do you use as your base for feed? Thank you again for being so helpful!

@Star and eclipsa Thank you! He is a Manchester Terrier - Dachshund mix. GREAT dog. But definitely has the terrier instinct and cannot be trusted around the hens lol.

@Birdinhand Thank you, I'm glad this is normal. Moving forward we will keep oyster shells openly available.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs Ok, that makes me feel better. We will definitely keep a source of calcium available to the girls from now on.
I do have a few questions form your first post. We recently moved the tractor that the girls roost in to a new spot where they would get more sun during the winter. Could this trigger a stressful reaction? Also, you said that you prefer not to use pre-mixed feeds, what do you use as your base for feed? Thank you again for being so helpful!

@Star and eclipsa Thank you! He is a Manchester Terrier - Dachshund mix. GREAT dog. But definitely has the terrier instinct and cannot be trusted around the hens lol.

@Birdinhand Thank you, I'm glad this is normal. Moving forward we will keep oyster shells openly available.

Moving would be stressful, so that probably has something to do with it.

As far as feed, I don't use a layer ration. I feed an All Flock ration, or a non medicated grower, depending on whether I have chicks as my all flock is a pellet, and the starter grower is a crumble.

Sorry if I was confusing, sometimes I confuse myself.

 

[ChickNanny13]

@oldhenlikesdogs All Flock is made by whom?
I feed Purina Flock Raiser (20%) to all adding the extra dish of Oyster Shell when pullets are showing laying signs. Chicks are started off on a small bag of Chick Starter, when that's done they get Flock Raiser. I also ferment all the feed, ACV to their water.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs All Flock is made by whom?
I feed Purina Flock Raiser (20%) to all adding the extra dish of Oyster Shell when pullets are showing laying signs. Chicks are started off on a small bag of Chick Starter, when that's done they get Flock Raiser. I also ferment all the feed, ACV to their water.

My All Flock is a Midwest brand, so it's not available to everyone. It's called Sprout, sold by Fleet farm. I've not tried Purina, but it is a brand that is probably available in most places.