Found soft shell egg in manure box this morning

[bobbieschicks]

It poured down rain all day on Thursday we even had thunderstorms. Friday was cold and cloudy. I'm hoping it's just her age. Time will tell.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Sunday morning I didn't check for eggs because we left so early for the 5K, but when we got home after church I looked - and found a nice hard shelled egg in the nest box.

 

[lroth217]

My Barred Rock "Boo" laid her (also our) first egg on Sunday and she is 21 weeks old. Since then I have found 3 more perfectly beautiful, although small, eggs but no clue which of the 9 of our 21 week olds laid them. Today Boo kept attempting to lay (much like your Snow White did before) but finally a yolk and some white came out when she pood. I was so worried that she had an egg break inside her that I closely checked her vent and looked at all her poo with the obvious broken egg yolk in it and saw no shell so I assume she also laid an egg with no shell or a very weak shell.

I was happy to see your post because it gives me hope that all is well and she is just adjusting.

I also have 13 week olds in my flock so I don't want to introduce Layer feed just yet, but I will rush out immediately and get some oyster shell if it is necessary for my layers but I don't want to make life hard for the 13 week olds if it will be bad for them if I just have it out and available.

Do the "teens" ignore the oyster shell?

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yes the little ones will check it out, maybe taste it, but they won't keep eating the oyster shell until they're older. I have my 18 week olds on layer feed now even though they haven't started to lay yet. Snow White has laid 3 eggs in a row with hard shells so hopefully she's past the soft shell issue. Give them time their bodies will work it out. Hope she gets back on track soon.

Oh and congrats on your first egg! It's such a fun and exciting thing to happen!

 

[lroth217]

Awesome, thank you, I will go get some oyster shell. I know that you can start the layer formula at 18 weeks so for now I will get some and only put it in the feeder hanging in the run and just adjust it so that it is too high for the "teens". They will still have the other 2 feeders to eat the Flock Raiser from. Another 5 weeks or so and then they will all be on layer feed I guess!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Also, when you switch to layer, mix it in with the flocks aided for a bit so they don't have a sudden change. I didn't do that but I really wished I would have cuz it seemed like Snow White didn't want to eat it. I was worried she would starve herself. And if you get the pellet feed the younger ones will leave it alone.

 

[lroth217]

Thank you so much!!! I did that when I switched them to the Flock Raiser from Starter Feed but I only did it because I had some of the other leftover! I never would have thought to mix them intentionally!

Just FYI I also have a White Leghorn and she is named Daenerys. (Name of a "queen" from George R. R. Martin's books and the HBO series "Game of Thrones") She may have laid one of the eggs that I am not sure about but no matter what she is very much the Queen of my flock!! She is also very loud about everything and believes she is the only one worthy of my attention!!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yeah another good egg today! That's four in a row!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Thought I would update this thread in case anyone was having the same thing happen.

Snow White turned 22 weeks old today and has laid 7 consecutive good eggs - all hard shelled and all similar in size. So it's looking like her body worked out the kinks and she's on the egg track.

Things I did to help the situation:
Changed her to Purina Layena with Omega 3 pellets
Added oyster shell option in a split bowl and added chick size grit in the other half of the bowl
Gave her a little bit of alfalfa hay to nibble on and kick around
Put fresh straw in the box & ping pong balls in as well
Lit the coup with string lights (on 5am off 7am on 4:30pm off 7:30pm)
Scratch in the coop at night and a little scoop during the day when she comes into the run for me
Mealyworms on occassion when she comes into the run for me

And the rest was up to her.

 

[Tallulah Chicklet]

You didn't mention if you were giving your layers grit...they need it to digest their food. Sand and DE is not big enough.

Go Snow White!