Egg shell like plastic wrap!?

[Tweet]

I'm not panicked since my girls are not for eggs production. Daisy is a 14 month old Serama Bantam. She lives with one dominant Serama hen. Daisy isn't a consistent layer, she has had good hard eggs but also 1 in 3 are so soft the shell is like plastic wrap or non existent. I give her oyster shell and lay pellets. During the day she roams the yard. Any suggestions for getting more consistent eggs?

 

[damselfish]

Well, some hens are just inconsistent. It sounds like you're providing the correct food/environment. Sometimes stress can cause an egg to be laid early, without a fully formed shell. Is there anything recurring every few days that would stress her out? I'm reaching, here....

 

[ThinkingChickens]

Perhaps check her food to see if there is enough protein. You can also offer scrambled eggs, and feed their own egg shells back to them. I found that one of the feeds I used wasn't as good as the one I'm using now. I'm feeding Purina Layena right now which a few of my friends use and the eggs are better.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This link gives different reasons for soft shelled eggs. It may help.

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

 

[Chicken_Noodle_Poop]

Try feeding them oyster shell chips, they have tons of calcium in them so the eggs will develop better shells.

 

[Tweet]

Thank you all for your replies! Daisy did escape last week and spent 36 hours on the lamb. Thanks to a wonderful neighbor three blocks away she was caught. This may have stressed her out. I'm going to set her up in her own coop and nest box and monitor her food intake. Perhaps she just in need of some special love and attention.

Ridgerunner's link was great. The photo was right on and the advice was wonderful.

Thanks !!!

 

[Tweet]

Thank you all for your replies! Daisy did escape last week and spent 36 hours on the lamb. Thanks to a wonderful neighbor three blocks away she was caught. This may have stressed her out. I'm going to set her up in her own coop and nest box and monitor her food intake. Perhaps she just in need of some special love and attention.

Ridgerunner's link was great. The photo was right on and the advice was wonderful.

Thanks !!!