Chronic thin shells from only one hen

[BockBockChick]

Do I just have to force-feed her calcium supplements forever or can I fix this with less instrusive measures?

I’ve got a two-year-old cream legbar I’ve had from hatch. She’s always had thin shells even as a pullet, and is the only one of my 20 chickens that lays thin shells, so I feel it’s a “her” problem and not a “me” problem. Also, there are three other legbars I got at the same time as her and they’re laying just fine.

The rest of the flock have strong shells and other than a few rare rubber eggs when they were pullets. I’ve never had egg issues.

I am feeding the entire flock layer feed, free choice oyster shell, and free choice baked eggshell. For treats I give them black soldier fly larvae, and dark, leafy greens - both of which are high in calcium.

I try to feed her separately to make sure she’s getting sufficient food and eggshells, but I feel like unless I pin her down and force-feed her calcium supplements, she’s laying thin-shelled eggs that break.

Then the flock goes in a frenzy trying to eat the broken egg. Or it messes up all the other eggs in the nest.

I’m trying to find less invasive ways of getting her shells to be thicker.

Do I have any other options? Or is this a genetic issue with her and that’s just how it’s going to be?

Disclaimer: my chickens are also pets so I won’t consider culling as an option.

Try feeding her a small handfull of black soldier fly larvae two or three times a week. I'm quite certain that will make a difference.

 

[KarinandKarma]

I had a hen with similar issues, frequent shelless and/or thin shells, she often became egg bound too. I tried supplementing her calcium but it didn't seem to make much difference, except when she was eggbound. She passed at 4 years old from EYP. Some hens are just glitchy. One thing that worked for me to get the calcium into her, I cut the tablets into quarters and inserted them into blueberries, and hand fed them to her. Avoided the catching, forcing her beak open and shoving the pill in, and improved our relationship.

I love the idea of pills in blueberries. I was trying to figure out how to give a pill without a fight. Marvellous!!

 

[Sally PB]

I love the idea of pills in blueberries. I was trying to figure out how to give a pill without a fight. Marvellous!!

I had a hen that needed some meds that I was able to dissolve and mix in with some feed to make a mash. All the chickens get "mash snack" in the afternoon, but hers was special. I put it in a little dish and had the dish on my lap. She was my lap chicken, so it worked out well.

I tried giving her the pills, and, as with your girl, it was a battle and made her avoid me.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I had a hen that needed some meds that I was able to dissolve and mix in with some feed to make a mash. All the chickens get "mash snack" in the afternoon, but hers was special. I put it in a little dish and had the dish on my lap. She was my lap chicken, so it worked out well.

I tried giving her the pills, and, as with your girl, it was a battle and made her avoid me.

I used to do this as well, though since I have a split run with a door in between I'd just separate out the bird that was getting the "special" food. It's another way to handle calcium supplementing especially if a bird doesn't like being handled or starts running because she doesn't want a pill.

2-3x a week serve a small bowl (like 1 Tbsp is fine) of wet or fermented feed with oyster shell mixed in. If she does not like chunks of oyster shell, crush it up or use the powdery remnants from bottom of the bag. Should only take her minutes to eat and after that she's free to go.