One of my pullets just started laying. I feed them layers feed, have oyster shells available all the time, treats are mostly BOSS but sometimes bread, yogurt, and leftovers. They free-range most of the time, so they do have access to greens. However, the pullet that just started to lay (a Barred Plymouth Rock) has all of a sudden this desperate look on her - when I went to lock their coop, I opened the door to make sure all 6 were inside, and she just jumped out and ran away and dashed to the compost pile, and found some crushed egg shells - and this, after dusk!!! so I guess there is something missing from her diet - maybe more calcium? So far, the 5 eggs she's layed have beautifull hard shells. Have you seen this behavior before, when they start laying? What can I do to supplement her diet? As I said, she has free access to oyster shells. Thanks!!
My chickens prefer egg shell to oyster shell It is not a problem I just save them and crush them up and feed back in a seperate feeder free choice. No prep of the shells are needed.
thanks - just crushing the shells are easier than having to bake them as I read on some postings here... she'll be getting her shells back today!!
I have noticed with my hens that occasionally (not anymore but when they first started laying) there is an egg that has a soft shell or no shell at all. Then the shells are hard and normal after that. I just call these occurrences "oopses" in the egglaying process. Back to normal tomorrow! Make sure you make those shells unrecognizable as eggs so they don't start eating their eggs.
