Heart breaking - multiple eggs on floor with thin shells, stomped on

[rosiethechicken]

1 out of 5 BRs are laying everyday in the next with tiny, but good shell egg.
2 nd chicken layed one hardshell egg on first day but nothing after that.

I was heart broken to find two broken eggs on the coop floor today,
both with thin shells and stomped on.

While cleaning the stuff, I found another dried up thin shell with
no yolk. I guessing thats from day before or earlier.

My chicken freerange. Should I still provide oyster shells ?
Is it possible one chicken is getting enough calcium from freerange
but not others ? Or is the thin shell business part of them getting
used to the laying process ?

Local feed supplier dont have oyster shells, instead he sold me
grit (thats like little pebbles) and told me they have enough calcium in them.
Is that true ?

Sorry for so many questions, but really upset looking at the beautiful eggs broken.

 

[Reinbeau]

Definitely get them some oyster shell, it isn't the same as grit at all (which they also need, but if they free range, they'll pick it up outside on their own, no need to buy it). They're new layers, it sounds like, they'll settle down soon enough. However, I do have one bird that consistently lays a thin-shelled egg (and I have no idea which one it is), despite the oyster shell they have available at all times.

 

[Tiss]

One (maybe two) of mine were laying soft shells from the roost last week. After 5 days of this, I was beginning to worry. Of course, the day after I posed asking how long this could go on, they started laying normally again. Hang in there.

 

[ChurkLover]

I had the same situation. Some of my hens were laying eggs with a good shell, but a couple others were thin shelled and I found the thin shelled eggs laying under the roost. It looked like the hens weren't even laying in their nesting boxes, I guess. Yes, smashed and no good and I was upset as well. I got some oyster shell about 2 weeks ago and have not had any problems with the shells since then. It was only about $8 for a 20 pound bag. Get them some oyster shell and you should be fine. Good luck!

 

[Dogfish]

Get them some layer feed to supplement their free ranging, plus oyster shell. Most of my birds started out laying a few soft-shelled or weak shelled eggs. Nothing to fret or be heartbroken about in the beginning. Part of the process. The eggs will come. They are just warming up their systems.