Eggs without a shell?

[ibpboo]

Think I will try the ACV in the water. Today one of my hens was eating her egg, but I saw no shell. It doesn't seem she would of gobbled the shell that fast and then been eating the egg. So, I wondered if she laid it without a shell? I've found before that eggs had been eaten because of the residue left behind and figured the shell must of broke, but today was weird. She is 6 years old, barred rock. I feed layer crumbles and scratch, sometimes fruits, veggies, bread etc.
Any ideas?

 

[brooster]

They sometimes lay shelless eggs, i just got one 3 days ago, keep an eye on her, she might be eating all her eggs.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Supplement with oyster shell or something. I had a Barred Rock hen that would lay shelless eggs sporatically. They look quite funky don't they...

 

[dangerouschicken]

Okay, you people are freaking me out now.

 

[Dodgegal79]

I got one of these 2 days in a row but everything is back to normal. The first day it was broken in the nest, the next day there it was, still whole with no shell. What a weird looking thing. I threw it out of the nest and the hens all came and gobbled it up. They know they can eat them if i break them for them.

 

[lavacaw]

I was getting shell-less eggs and weak shelled eggs a few years ago and one of my neighbors (who has raised chickens for years) said to wash egg shells and when I had a bunch saved, bake them for a few minutes to thoroughly dry them then crush them and toss them out for the chickens. They ate them just like scratch grains and really seemed to like them. I no longer have a problem with egg shell integrity.

 

[Wynette]

I nuke my eggshells in the microwave for about 10 seconds; that's much quicker than heating up your oven to dry them out. Just make sure they are crushed really well; if they resemble an egg, it encourages egg eating. I put mine in a gallon ziploc bag (leaving the top open) until it's about half full, then I use a rolling pin to crush them up.

If your chickens are eating eggs, they could be lacking protein; try throwing in some dry cat food. It's high in protein. I also throw in BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) now and then, and it seems to really help with the egg-laying mechanisms, and they absolutely love it!