Grainy specks on outside of shell and in egg whites

[MichelleObrahma]

It is an old thread, but I'm having no luck finding any posts that match my issue as exactly as this one.

By supplements I just meant the supplemental grit and oyster shell, separate from their layer pellet.

No one seems sick, and I haven't been able to pinpoint which chicken is laying these eggs, but it's always the exact same problem, daily, so I think it's just one chicken. I suspect it may be one of my Australorps who I treated for prolapse and vent gleet back in March. She's been fine ever since, from what I can tell.

We adopted them at 10 months from friends who were moving, but didn't actually move the flock to our place until the beginning of June. They're all around 13 months old now. While they were at their old place, I didn't see eggs like this, except maybe one shortly before we moved them. The problem eggs started showing up a couple weeks ago. Powdery/hard bumps on the shell, very thin shell that sounds like glass when you tap it, dusty debris in the whites when cracked, just like the OP's pics. All other eggs are normal

I thought maybe it was heat related? Our place is 10-15 degrees hotter than their old one, and their old coop and ranging area was almost entirely in shade, whereas our space is almost full sun (but I've surrounded the coop and run with shade cloth and umbrellas, and it has a solid roof.)

Since we've gotten a few heat waves, I've started adding Hen Boost to their water for electrolytes and probiotics, and ACV to acidify their vents and prevent gleet. I removed the scratch grains that I mixed in their food because I read that digesting corn makes them warmer. I also just started adding Omega Fields Omega Ultra Egg Chicken Supplement and organic kelp meal to try and strengthen the eggs and keep the girls healthy.

 

[aart]

I've started adding Hen Boost to their water for electrolytes and probiotics,

Electrolytes are good for heat stress, but should only be given about once a week and plain water should always be available.

ACV to acidify their vents and prevent gleet.

Not sure about the gleet, but ACV can interfere with calcium absorption.

I removed the scratch grains that I mixed in their food because I read that digesting corn makes them warmer.

Most chicken feed is mostly corn anyway.....mixing scratch in just reduces the nutrition of feed.

I also just started adding Omega Fields Omega Ultra Egg Chicken Supplement and organic kelp meal to try and strengthen the eggs and keep the girls healthy.

IMO, most the snakeoils supplements are for taking keepers money, are not necessary and can even cause more problems than they supposedly 'cure'.

All they need to be healthy is a fresh and balanced chicken ration and plain water.

 

[MichelleObrahma]

Electrolytes are good for heat stress, but should only be given about once a week and plain water should always be available.

They have both electrolytes and plain water. And yes, I only add it when heat is extreme.

Not sure about the gleet, but ACV can interfere with calcium absorption.

I have a chicken keeper friend with a flock of 20 beautiful hens, and she's been keeping for many years. She's the one who suggested a couple TBSP of ACV per 3-4 gallons of water. She's had no gleet issues and no egg calcium issues and she does it with every water change. I figured it couldn't hurt, and they seem to like it. Good to know about the possible absorption issue though. But I was also putting it in the water for a few months before this started.

Most chicken feed is mostly corn anyway.....mixing scratch in just reduces the nutrition of feed.

I think I wrote that in a confusing way. They have their regular pellet feed, and (because it was what their old owners did) I was mixing it with Scratch and Peck brand feed, which was a balanced whole grain food, but it contained corn. I removed the food with corn. The pellet feed they get now is exactly the same as the OP, corn and soy free.

IMO, most the snakeoils supplements are for taking keepers money, are not necessary and can even cause more problems than they supposedly 'cure'.
All they need to be healthy is a fresh and balanced chicken ration and plain water.

As I mentioned above, the additives are kelp and omega 3 supplement to help yolk color (because, no corn). Also oregano which is a scientifically studied, and proven, preventative for bacterial infections, an anti-viral, and beneficial for respiratory health. It's also known to increase appetite.

Do you have some information about any of these supplements that would indicate that they are harmful? I didn't start adding them until after the problem started, and the OP had the same issue and didn't mention using any supplements.

It's also only affecting one chicken. So, likely not anything they are eating or drinking.