Hen with calcium deficiency?

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Hey guys, I have one hen that keeps laying soft eggs at night. She’s laid about 8 soft eggs so far and that is not good and when she does lay an actual egg, the bottom is like sandpaper. She is the smallest and lightest of the flock but, I think she might have a calcium deficiency. I do put grit in their food but they never eat it. It seems to be affecting her the most. Are there any types of food for hens with lots of calcium?Thanks in advance!

 

[Eggcessive]

Are you using layer feed and supplimenting calcium by putting out crushed oyster shell and crushed egg shells? Grit is chipped granite, and not the same thing as crushed oyster shell (calcium.) Grit is to help the gizzard digest foods. Are any other hens having this problem? Have you ever noticed a lot of sneezing or a respiratory infection? Infectious bronchitis can cause problems with the shell gland part of the oviduct, where egg shells are formed. I also have seen a hen who suffered an injury to her abdomen, stop laying, and when she resumed, stopped having hard shells.

 

[R2elk]

Hey guys, I have one hen that keeps laying soft eggs at night. She’s laid about 8 soft eggs so far and that is not good and when she does lay an actual egg, the bottom is like sandpaper. She is the smallest and lightest of the flock but, I think she might have a calcium deficiency. I do put grit in their food but they never eat it. It seems to be affecting her the most. Are there any types of food for hens with lots of calcium?Thanks in advance!

Grit (if it is actually grit) has nothing to do with a Calcium deficiency. Calcium deficiency can be caused by a vitamin D deficiency causing the inability to properly absorb Calcium into the system. Or it can be caused by just not enough Calcium.

Calcium (oyster shell or crushed limestone) should be offered free choice. Grit is normally granite and also should be offered free choice. Neither oyster shell or grit should be added to the feed.

If the problem is with a single hen, you can increase her Calcium intake by mixing liquid Calcium in her water. It should only be offered to the hen in need and should not be made available to any cockerels or roosters.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Hi really sorry for the late reply. My WiFi had to be replaced and it just started working now. I do give them oyster shell but it comes with the grit and so ai just mix that into the food. None of the other hens are laying soft eggs only her.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Hi, I mix the grit and oyster shell in the food because they never eat it alone so when I mix it in, they eat it along its the food. But, I’ll stop doing that and do it in a separate bowl. If I put calcium in their water, could the other hens have it? I have no roosters or cockerels only hens.

 

[AquaDuck]

You can make a wet mash of regular feed, crushed egg shells or oyster shells and vitamin D3, and feed just to the hen affected. If her eggs get better after a few days, you know what the problem is. If they keep being soft, there could be another issue like inflammation etc.
Since the other hens are fine, it's best not to mess with their intake of calcium and vitamin D.

 

[R2elk]

Hi really sorry for the late reply. My WiFi had to be replaced and it just started working now. I do give them oyster shell but it comes with the grit and so I just mix that into the food. None of the other hens are laying soft eggs only her.

I don't know of any oyster shell that comes with grit. Some companies give the false impression that oyster shell is grit by naming the product oyster shell grit. It is not grit and cannot serve the same purpose of grit. Oyster shell is soft and soluble and provides calcium while grit is hard and is not soluble and is used in the gizzard to facilitate grinding up the food as it passes through the gizzard.

Free choice oyster shell should not disappear like feed does. The chickens need far less of it than they need feed so it can seem like they are not eating it and should need refilled infrequently.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

That is strange because the bag clearly said that it was grit and oyster shell. But, I suppose I will just buy them separately. Thanks for your help!

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Okay thanks I probably will try that. Although, she seems fine in every other way. It’s just her eggs. So, I will try the meet mash and see how it goes. Thanks for your help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Grit for chickens usually says granite grit on the label.