CONTINUOUS Shell-less egg from my new layer?

[All4Eggz]

One of the newer groups this year was an olive egger (hen), buff orpington (hen), and golden laced wyandotte (roo). I have lost track of how old they all are, but I was guessing they are just about ready to start laying. I checked the (Pubic, I think ) bones of my buff orp and she was more than two fingers wide, signifying she is in fact laying.

But the mystery is: Every day for about 2 weeks, we've been getting a shell-less egg in the SAME spot (not in the nest box, but on a board that we made so it's easier for the chickens to get up to roost) , and we've never seen the buff orp (or the olive egger) in the nest boxes, so that made us think ONE of them is laying that egg.

I don't get it- We supply them with available calcium 24/7 (crushed oyster shell) and feed layer pellets and some snacks. What could be the issue?

Thanks in advance for responding

 

[All4Eggz]

@Eggcessive
@JacinLarkwell
@Rhodebar Lover

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The calcium might not be enough, I have a hen like that. Could also just be working out glitches

 

[All4Eggz]

The calcium might not be enough, I have a hen like that. Could also just be working out glitches

Thank you.

If this continues, at what point will there be a problem? Should I feed her extra mealworms- which have calcium?

 

[All4Eggz]

It's just sort of an issue, because we've been getting less eggs (from molting), so one extra USABLE egg would help. And by usable, I mean, UNBROKEN- Because every day we find that shell-less egg broken, probably from chickens trampling it..

 

[All4Eggz]

Also, I know this is kind of off topic (lol), but for the coming winter, (@JacinLarkwell), do you recommend supplement lighting in the coop (because we need egg production to stay, so we can support our family and customers)? And if so, what kind? is there a way to do it without electricity, since we don't have power lines attached to the coop?


Thanks in advance- I really appreciate it

p.s. sorry for the handful of questions hopefully you (or someone else) are able to answer them. thanks again

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Thank you.

If this continues, at what point will there be a problem? Should I feed her extra mealworms- which have calcium?

I just settled for knowing hers would never be good for anything. I've tried to hatch dozens with no success, so I know it's just not meant to be.

Keep the OS out and that should at least help

 

[rosemarythyme]

If this continues, at what point will there be a problem? Should I feed her extra mealworms- which have calcium?

I'd cut back on the snacks, and if you're sure it's the BO that's the issue, try giving her a private breakfast with extra calcium to ensure she's ingesting it:

Isolate her for a private breakfast. 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.

Assuming her issue is simply insufficient calcium intake, you should see results in a week or two, and you can try reducing it to 1-2x a week and should hopefully continue getting good results. If you still have the same issue, then you might need to try pills of calcium citrate instead for a faster, bigger calcium boost.

 

[All4Eggz]

Thank you so much everyone
I will give her a private breakfast with extra cacium every few days.

And @JacinLarkwell, sorry if I misread/misunderstood, but what is "OS"?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Oyster shell