Help----yellow yolk in the nesting box

[Messipaw]

Help----yellow yolk in the nesting box.
I have recently been finding yellow yolk spots in the nesting boxes. I have found soft shell eggs once in a while as well. I have a fake ceramic egg in the nest box that has sticky yellow yolk on it. I think I know which chicken it is but I am not 100% sure. They free range and eat layer pellet. I offer them free choice oyster shells and feed them back their own egg shells. I think I want to give an antibiotic just in case there is something wrong. Any suggestion on what I should do? Please any suggestions and comment are appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Messipaw]

Any suggestions.

 

[aart]

I wouldn't give an antibiotic unless you know for sure a bacterial infection is present.
Could be many reasons you're finding egg remnants in the nests.
I'd clean out all the egg mess, change the bedding, and wash off the fake egg.

How old are the birds?
Soft shells are not unusual in new layers, and a softshell or broken egg is fair game for eating.

I'd start with a higher protein feed as a supplement or instead of the layer feed......
...or provide some high protein, especially animal protein, foods to bump up their protein intake.

Are you crushing the eggs shells and mixing it with oyster shells in a separate container from their layer feed?

 

[Messipaw]

I wouldn't give an antibiotic unless you know for sure a bacterial infection is present.
Could be many reasons you're finding egg remnants in the nests.
I'd clean out all the egg mess, change the bedding, and wash off the fake egg.

How old are the birds?
Soft shells are not unusual in new layers, and a softshell or broken egg is fair game for eating.

I'd start with a higher protein feed as a supplement or instead of the layer feed......
...or provide some high protein, especially animal protein, foods to bump up their protein intake.

Are you crushing the eggs shells and mixing it with oyster shells in a separate container from their layer feed?

Thank you aart,
I did clean the mess out and put clean ceramic eggs in. The RIR that i believe is having the issue is was born 1/2012. She is about 3 years old. I do crush up the egg shells and add them to the oyster shells or i put them in a separate dish as well. I will get a high protein food for them ---any suggestions? I do give them boiled chicken scraps and pork bones to pick at. They get zucchini and squash and all sorts of vegetables.They also free range every day for hours.
Thank you for your help.

 

[aart]

Could just be, or partially be, her age...just not processing nutrition effectively, especially the calcium aspect-there's vitamin/mineral balance that essential.
I'd cut out most, if not all, the veggies for a few weeks.
When in doubt about nutrition, go back to basics....just a nutritionally balanced chicken chow.


I like to feed a 'flock raiser' 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and all molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer.

 

[Messipaw]

Could just be, or partially be, her age...just not processing nutrition effectively, especially the calcium aspect-there's vitamin/mineral balance that essential.
I'd cut out most, if not all, the veggies for a few weeks.
When in doubt about nutrition, go back to basics....just a nutritionally balanced chicken chow.


I like to feed a 'flock raiser' 20% protein crumble to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and all molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer.

Thank you so much. I will get the flock raiser' 20% protein chow now!! Thank you again.

 

[Messipaw]

-There are no shells to be seen anywhere.
-This happens during the day. There has never been a mess in the box first thing in the morning.
-I'm out in our barn a lot, but I never seem to catch a chicken in the act of breaking or eating an egg.

Could I have a hen dropping shell-less eggs for some reason? I give all our birds oystershell free-choice. I dunno... Help a newbie out?
I'm going to start flock raiser' 20% protein

 

[aart]

Well most birds lay in the day, not at night.
No telling what the problem is, first you've got to figure out who it is, then isolate her and observe.
Sorry no pat and easy answer.

 

[Messipaw]

Well most birds lay in the day, not at night.
No telling what the problem is, first you've got to figure out who it is, then isolate her and observe.
Sorry no pat and easy answer.

How do I figure this one out? I've cg checked for egg faced hens. No luck. I'm going back to basics. I'm going to observe them in the pen for a few days straight.

 

[drumstick diva]

Maybe some tech ware would help? Does she lay in the same nest box every day? If so get or borrow a game cam and train it on her section - so you can find out what is going on.