eating soft shells

[kimboFr]

So out of my 5 hens that eat layer pellets, 2 are layingsoft shelled eggs AND eating them! I have oyster shell on the side & give back crushed eggshells when I have some. 1 of the culprits is a battery hen that is 2yrs old. The other is one we hatched out last June. What can I do? could this be due to the fact that we've had a lot of rain, nearly every day for the last week and a half? they go inside the coop to lay and to sleep, otherwise they are in a run & it has been nasty & wet

 

[KaseySnow]

It is hard to break hens of the habit of egg eating once they have learned it. Dangerously, they can teach the behavior to others if you don't stop it quickly. The best remedy is to check the nesting boxes as often as you can to keep the eggs out of their reach. Hopefully they only ate them because of the soft shells and not because they have picked up a bad behavior.

Young birds often lay soft or strangely shaped eggs, it happens sometimes. If it goes on much longer, it may be cause for concern, but give them a week or so to level out and see if the shells don't harden.

 

[kimboFr]

ok