Hen 7 mo. still laying weak shelled eggs....

[clucky2]

My Light Brahma has been laying since Aug., but still is producing eggs with thin shells. There is a shell, it's just not nice and dense like everyone elses. I give them oyster shell in thier feed. Maybe she doesn't eat enough of it. Today and egg from her was broken in the nest box. It looked as if it broke when she was sitting, not pecked open.
Do some hens just take a long time to get nice dense shells, or should I be doing something to help?

 

[bwebb7]

Most of the time I have heard you should offer oyster shell on the side.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Since you are already forcing them to eat additional calcium and the other eggs are OK, a lack of calcium is not the problem. Since she is consistent, it is something specific to the hen. This site gives some specific causes. My guess is that it is genetic and she is not a keeper. Sorry.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

 

[Cindy in PA]

I had a buff orpington that started laying last year in August. She layed almost everyday until February, but all her eggs were thin shelled and rough. Since Feb I had gotten several yokes in the next box & she would spend umpteen hours just sitting in the nest box. Her sibling never laid an egg that I know of, but lived until September of this year when she went through molt & should have started laying again, and then one day she died. I expected the first one to pass when she went through molt, as she could just no longer lay an egg. She was gotten by a predator two weeks ago, so I don't know if the start of egglaying would have killed her. Nothing I tried changed the first ones eggs when she was laying. I agree that it can be genetic.

 

[crazyhen]

Hens who lay thin shells may have a genetic problem or they may have had a disease that they overed but left them with the problem. I have a mixed Brahma that has always layed a thinner and rough shell. So far She is ok. She is now going through her first large molt. I hope she will be ok. You may have to cull. sorry. Gloria jean

 

[clucky2]

Thanks for your responses. That it could be genetic never occured to me. In any case, I'll keep her. I love her, thin shells and all!

 

[clucky2]

Thanks for your responses. That it could be genetic never occured to me. In any case, I'll keep her. I love her, thin shells and all!

 

[cover357]

We had the same problem with our girls in coop#1, we designed a poop box under the roost(makes it easier to clean) and every day there would be soft shelled eggs droped now in the poop box some stuck to the grates we had on top- then I started giving them plain yougart 2 times a week. Everything hardened up.. all good- Don't give up. there has got to be something- is she getting enough light. the chicken cycle needs every bit of different elimants to make a good egg. Don't give up