Help now getting soft eggs.

[rooster58]

I've got chicks and wanted to go with a starter grower/ all flock feed so I changed feed. I am now getting soft eggs. My layers have always had oyster shell available but they never eat it. Any advice on what I can do to prevent the soft shell eggs and also not hurt my chicks with too much calcium? For now I can buy layer feed for my laying hens and my chicks starter/grower but in a couple weeks they will all be together and that won't be an option then.

 

[snow5164]

Hello,
You could try adding cooked egg shells to the oyster shells. I microwave mine for 35 seconds them crush them up, my girls prefer that to oyster shells so I mix it together .

Doesn't the layer feed have calcium in it? So they got all they needed before,

My flock is all on grower with oyster / shells for the layers .

 

[rooster58]

Hello,
You could try adding cooked egg shells to the oyster shells. I microwave mine for 35 seconds them crush them up, my girls prefer that to oyster shells so I mix it together .

Doesn't the layer feed have calcium in it? So they got all they needed before,

My flock is all on grower with oyster / shells for the layers .

They do eat the egg shells. Well most of them do. I'm not feeding them layer feed at the moment because I have baby chicks and they can't have layer. When I was feeding layer feed I didn't have any soft shells. I can put them back on layer for a couple weeks but after that the babies are going into the main coop. Can't do layer then. I would like to have to buy only one type of feed. I just don't understand why some won't touch the oyster shell.

 

[snow5164]

I'd hope that if they need calcium they'll eat it ,but before they had calcium in the layer feed they didn't need the oyster shells right ??

Now they have to get used to eating grower and oyster shells , I'm sure they'll adjust give them time .They need very little oyster shells you might not see them eating it...

 

[rooster58]

I'd hope that if they need calcium they'll eat it ,but before they had calcium in the layer feed they didn't need the oyster shells right ??

Now they have to get used to eating grower and oyster shells , I'm sure they'll adjust give them time .They need very little oyster shells you might not see them eating it...

Thank you. I'll give them some time.