found a leather egg

[leedyfeathers]

Second time finding a leather egg. Could it be something besides lack in calcium. They have layer pellets though they have not been eating them very well. I leave out grit and Clam shell for calcium and once I have a bunch of crushed egg shells I feed them those. I see it eat up all the time and its consumption has increased and food decreased. My younger hens are about 25 weeks. And should already been laying but I only see twolooking like they are Any ideas?

 

[krista74]

It's probably just because they are new to laying. A few odd eggs are to be expected when they first start laying. It takes a while to iron out the kinks in the egg factory! I wouldn't worry unless it becomes a persistent problem.

Is there a reason they don't eat their pellets? Do you feed them anything else? The only reason I ask is that I was guilty of feeding too much scratch and wheat when I first got my hens, and my girls didn't eat their pellets either. They would rather eat the yummy treats! Once I cut the treats back, the pellets started getting eaten.

Krista

 

[leedyfeathers]

I was feeding crumbles switched to pellets as i listed above but its been two bags ago and this has just started last week. I feed a pound of cracked corn in the morning for 25 heavy birds because they are up and out at 7am and its been chilly out. I toss scraps not much really for two chickens most the time and dog gets the meat scraps. I feed bread if I need them up in run before roosting time. Or if just to get them in the same area again. I do free range them more lately since they tend to all lay in the morning. I let them out in the evenings a few hours or more a day.

 

[leedyfeathers]

No body seems sick and they always have a full crop when returning to coop you can visibly see it. Maybe they get enough free ranging that they don't eat as much if that be the case.. makes me happy less money going out!

. I have been letting them out longer and more often. They act board inside. Sometimes they will sit next to the gate waiting for the range time.