Flock of 17, EE only one laying weak eggs

[lori_smith99]

Hi All! I have had my girls now for almost 1 yr (in June). All have been laying for about 5 months. I feed them layer feed pellets in their feed tube, Fermented feed first thing in the morning (made with garlic, ACV, red chili flakes, sage, oregano), 3 way scratch once a day, and then sprng mix lettuce, sprouted lentils, scrambled eggs, bread for treats about 4 times a week. They have fresh ground oysters shells (that have been backed and ground) and eggshells (baked) offered freely.

I have had 13-17 eggs a day all winter. Great layers. My EE just started about a week ago laying very weak shelled eggs. They all eat the same thing. And the problem is everyone waits for her to lay then they peck her shell and go to town. It is the only one they are able to break. I can hold it and apply pressure and it will smash.

Any ideas as to why just 1 hen would have an issue if they all eat the same thing??? I am baffled

 

[LhickenChicken]

Hi All! I have had my girls now for almost 1 yr (in June). All have been laying for about 5 months. I feed them layer feed pellets in their feed tube, Fermented feed first thing in the morning (made with garlic, ACV, red chili flakes, sage, oregano), 3 way scratch once a day, and then sprng mix lettuce, sprouted lentils, scrambled eggs, bread for treats about 4 times a week. They have fresh ground oysters shells (that have been backed and ground) and eggshells (baked) offered freely.

I have had 13-17 eggs a day all winter. Great layers. My EE just started about a week ago laying very weak shelled eggs. They all eat the same thing. And the problem is everyone waits for her to lay then they peck her shell and go to town. It is the only one they are able to break. I can hold it and apply pressure and it will smash.

Any ideas as to why just 1 hen would have an issue if they all eat the same thing??? I am baffled

Hmmm... I don't know, since you are feeding them oyster shells. How about ground limestone? Or just fresh crushed up eggshells? I feed mine crushed up eggshells.

I was also reading up... Do you think it could be a problem with her eggshell gland or something? It could also be immature shell gland, I'd maybe wait and see?

I am really not the best person to ask about this, I saw this thread and decided to try to help, anyway.

 

[lori_smith99]

Hmmm... I don't know, since you are feeding them oyster shells. How about ground limestone? Or just fresh crushed up eggshells? I feed mine crushed up eggshells.

I was also reading up... Do you think it could be a problem with her eggshell gland or something? It could also be immature shell gland, I'd maybe wait and see?

I am really not the best person to ask about this, I saw this thread and decided to try to help, anyway.

Thank you! Advise is always welcomed

 

[Iluveggers]

@azygous @Eggcessive

I had an EE laying soft shells. Started a week of a human calcium tablet in her beak every night at roost. Also cut any veggie scraps for that time. After 2 days her eggs got normal again. Now I limit scraps to mid-afternoon. On one day of observation I realized when I fed scraps in the morning she would fill up on them and forgo the layer feed. The calcium tab should harden her shell up I would think.

 

[nuthatched]

Hi there, I'd cut all the extras, herbs and spices included as all those things dilute their nutrition and inhibit nutritional absorption such as calcium. It's actually bad for them.
What type of feed are they getting? Ees tend to be problem prone.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would stop everything but the layer feed, and oyster shell. Then for the next week give a 600 mg calcium citrate with D3 tablet orally, just pop it into her beak. If that doesn’t work in a week, it might be her she’ll gland. But all of those extras she is getting, it dilutes her balanced layer feed.

 

[lori_smith99]

@azygous @Eggcessive

I had an EE laying soft shells. Started a week of a human calcium tablet in her beak every night at roost. Also cut any veggie scraps for that time. After 2 days her eggs got normal again. Now I limit scraps to mid-afternoon. On one day of observation I realized when I fed scraps in the morning she would fill up on them and forgo the layer feed. The calcium tab should harden her shell up I would think.

Thank you!

 

[Rurumo]

It sounds like you are feeding them quite well, and that one hen is probably favoring treats over the layer feed. The spices are great for them, I'd keep feeding those and simply reduce the % of their diets that are treats. You actually might not need to do anything more than single that hen out for a calcium supplement though.

 

[lori_smith99]

The herbs and such all have functions of their own and are not shown to impede calcium absorption but in fact aid in it. I appreciate your responses but if it had to do with the feed or the herbs they would all be having issues and not just 1 of them.
I have to agree with Rurumo, in that i think it has something to do with just EE.
Thank you all! I am going to try the calcium and see how that works for her.