Deformed eggs

[justsomeguync]

My wife and I took in three Brahma hens last October from a friend of hers, a couple of years old we were told, 2 or 3. We got a couple of deformed eggs from them, then nothing until a few weeks ago. Our Red Stars have been producing eggs through the winter, eating the same feed, no problems at all. Now that the Brahmas have begun laying again, one is laying normal eggs, but the other two are still laying deformed eggs. They look like hollow chocolate eggs that have been set somewhere warm, kind of flattened a little, and the "top"sunk down in. The shells are very thin, and are often cracked at the least, sometimes with a hole in the sunken part. Some times they eat them, but they have been leaving the normal eggs alone, and sometimes they don't eat them, they are just broken and soak a big chunk of the nest box.

My first thought (when we first got them) was a feed issue, but they have been eating the same as the other chickens for 5 or 6 months now, I don't see how that could be it. Am I wrong, or is this something else I don't know of? I haven't read anything about this, anybody have any ideas?

 

[gritsar]

I suspect it's an age thing.

Here's some information on the various egg deformities you might see from a backyard flock:

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/ourbooks/1/egg-quality-handbook/

Age is a factor in some of the deformities.

 

[justsomeguync]

Thanks for the link.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

I have problems with occasional thin eggshells when they do not get enough calcium. It was particularly bad once I switched to a grain feed , relying on free choice oyster shell.

One hen started eating eggs. Once identified and isolated, we realized that she was having calcium problems. Isolation forced her to eat fortified pellets and everybody was more or less satisfied.

 

[justsomeguync]

These eggs aren't just thin shelled, they are deformed also. During the winter, they would have had little choice but to have eaten the layer pellets. The other Brahma and the Red Star eggs are just about bullet proof, so I really don't believe it is a diet issue.

I really think these chickens are older than the lady told us they were, and that she knew they were laying bad eggs and didn't want to deal with the issue herself.

The reason I posted was that I was reading another thread that suggested that worms could be the problem for somebody else. I was hoping for more specifics for that, because I see no worms, and like the diet topic, I find no reason to believe that other chickens living with them would be free of these problems if that was the issue. I am afraid that I don't know what I am looking for other than, you know, WORMS.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Most vets will do a fecal float to check for worms for under $10. I really do believe that your first guess is right though; the hen is older and has developed egg development issues due to age.

 

[schellie69]

I would say this is a problem due to age if your worried about worms. You could de-worm your flock, I would start with wazine and then follow 10 days later with something like safeguard paste for horses pea size for each hen throw eggs way for 2 weeks after worming. You could also give the older girls some yogurt to boost her calcium. After about 2 days of each worming I would give them a mixture of cat food and yogurt to help stabilize their bodies and give a protein boost. I give mine crushed egg shells once a week. Good luck.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

Do they have fresh water? My hen with a calcium problem sometimes lays oddly shaped eggs when she drinks less than normal. (Those odd eggs seem to have super hard shells though).

 

[justsomeguync]

We feed them crushed egg shells, oyster shells, and change the water daily, dirty or not, and they only drink half of it by then, so I don't think it is any of those things.

I have been looking for worms, even using my reading glasses, but have seen no hint of worms. Given the responses on here, I have to believe these are just older chickens than we were told.

25 new chicks are to arrive on Monday, I think I will be retiring these two hens by the time the chicks get out of the brooder. At least their golden months were spent in a less crowded coop, and they were allowed to free range most every day there wasn't snow. I won't feel too evil, I gave them a chance.