Eggs shells very thin

[Smith Family]

My girls are about 3 years old, but the last couple of weeks all the shells have been very thin, they are free range & have plenty of shell grit. Smith Family

 

[Nutcase]

Hi Smith Family!
Do you give them layer pellets/crumbles as well? Shell grit is good, but they also need protein. I give mine all the kitchen scraps we produce especially meat (e.g. leftover chops). My hens are the same age as yours, but are not free range at the moment so they need extra stuff to keep them healthy. I also add a few tbsps cat biscuits to their feed several times a week. Since there are 4 of them, that amount doesn't go very far, but I have noticed an improvement in egg quality for sure. The shells are stronger and they lay more frequently. I know some members on this site are against cat/dog food for chickens, and yes, I would only give them a small amount in their feed, and not every day either.
Also consider that they may be feeling a little off. Are they molting at all or recovering from a recent sickness? What breed are they? Some breeds begin to lay fewer and weaker eggs before others.
Hope this helped.
Good luck

 

[Smith Family]

Yep, the girls have the run of 2;5 acres, kitchen scraps (from a family of 6), wheat, shellgrit & pellets. interesting about the dry cat food, have just got some calcium powder from the pet shop to mix with their food, will let you know how it goes !