Egg yolk in coop

[sjturner79]

Thanks both of you for your advice.  I did get some oystershell to try as I wanted to rule out lack of calcium as the problem.  I have what should be a good layer feed, but it's possible they may not have been getting enough (I started at 19 weeks, mixed it with their grower feed, and my parents have been giving them lots of treats - in retrospect, maybe they didn't have enough of a calcium reserve built up). 

They didn't really take to the oystershell, just pecked at it and spit it out for the most part.  I'm hoping they will take some tomorrow, but if not, would it be a good idea to mix it with their feed?  I also wondered about feeding them calcium rich treats and what would be the best treats for calcium (I know greens are supposed to be good, but which ones?).

The same hen laid a couple of soft shell/no shell eggs again today, so unfortunately it is beginning to look like a trend.  I does concern me that maybe she's laying too fast (three yolks yesterday if you count the good egg, and two yolks today).  Does that sound like illness or could it be just an out of sync laying cycle?

If there not eating the oyster shell that's good - it means they Are getting enough in their food.

The extra eggs could be just because she hasn't got the hang of laying yet. As long as they are each making 1 good egg every 3 days I would not worry until they've had a good 3 months of laying to get it sorted.

 

[SusanD]

Is it possible they might refuse the oystershell due to being unfamiliar with it (even if they did need it)?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks both of you for your advice. I did get some oystershell to try as I wanted to rule out lack of calcium as the problem. I have what should be a good layer feed, but it's possible they may not have been getting enough (I started at 19 weeks, mixed it with their grower feed, and my parents have been giving them lots of treats - in retrospect, maybe they didn't have enough of a calcium reserve built up).

They didn't really take to the oystershell, just pecked at it and spit it out for the most part. I'm hoping they will take some tomorrow, but if not, would it be a good idea to mix it with their feed? I also wondered about feeding them calcium rich treats and what would be the best treats for calcium (I know greens are supposed to be good, but which ones?).

The same hen laid a couple of soft shell/no shell eggs again today, so unfortunately it is beginning to look like a trend. I does concern me that maybe she's laying too fast (three yolks yesterday if you count the good egg, and two yolks today). Does that sound like illness or could it be just an out of sync laying cycle?

They are new layers...they will do weird things as they gear up. I would not worry about it. Do not put the oyster shell in their feed. If they are picking at it, they aren't interested in extra calcium.

The one hen may have some development issues with her tract, but again, she is a new layer, and the weather has been changing here (I live within the Willamette Valley too)....so you will have some weird habits right now.

If after several months, things don't settle down (which I am almost positive they will), then you will have to consider that your birds may have developmental issues with their egg tracts or it might have been a mild case of IB or Newcastle...which they will recover from and begin to lay again.

But, it is most likely just new layers. I had a Delaware that laid soft shelled eggs, weird eggs, two yolkers, for almost a month before she settled in to become one of my best layers.

LofMc

 

[SusanD]

Thanks, I'm definitely hoping things will settle down soon.

Susan

 

[SusanD]

Just a quick update - I noticed the chickens eating the oyster shell the next day. And today, we got an almost perfect egg (the shell was a little thin on one end) that was even normal size (instead of a half sized pullet one). So, hopefully, they are back to normal

 

[DmCrawlz]

Hi Susan,
I have a similar experience. Recently, a local fruit stand has been giving us their almost bad fruit for our girls. About a week later, the eggshells were so thin they were translucent. Many were being broken in the nesting boxes. We came to the conclusion that they only ate the fruit and passed on their grain. We have decreased their fruit and mixed some oyster shell in with their grains. It has been a week and the shells are beginning to thicken up again. Moderation I guess...

 

[SusanD]

Hi,

My chicken does not seem to have settled down just yet (soft shelled egg both before and after my recent vacation). Given that she is a new layer and seems healthy, I do want to give her three months (or the usual amount of time) before having tests run on her. My parents and i have cut out our extra treats, I plan to put our oystershell in a better container (It's in a small one now) to encourage them to eat it), and will check her breastbone tomorrow morning (she seem's to have plumped up a little while I was gone). Is there anything else I should be trying, or is it just a matter of waiting it out?

Thanks,

Susan

 

[DmCrawlz]

Hey Susan. Frustrating!! All my chickens are laying normal eggs again except for our one White Leghorn. I have been giving her yogurt and I just read to give a smashed up tums for calcium...not too sure I'm going to do that yet...but my diagnosis is not enough calcium...but could be anything.

 

[SusanD]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm glad that the majority of your chickens are doing well, and hope you can get your problem one back to normal also. I think that too many treats may have played a role in my experience also, as we were feeding them watermelon to help with the heat and I think that people who took care of them while I was gone were giving them treats also (albeit healthier ones). Now that our temperatures are down (75-85 instead of 95 to 105), I think that my parents and I can cut out the treats and see if that helps

My problem hen has laid normally before, so I think she's capable. Let me know if the yogurt and/or Tums helps yours and I may try that.

 

[Ila88]

I appreciate this thread as we have been having the same problem for almost a month with a 6 month old hen. Some days there are 3 membrane eggs of various shapes and sizes below the roost. They do get oyster shell, and I have been grinding up extra calcium and yogurt and cooking the shell less eggs for them. I hope it sorts itself out soon. We've also been having hotter than normal weather here.