How can I get thicker egg shells???

[bruce89123]

I have Red Stars that are six months old. They are laying normal looking eggs, but I would like the shell to be a little bit thicker. If I scrub the eggs slightly too hard while cleaning they will easily break. Also, if I hard boil the eggs the shells are hard to remove because it stick to the egg whites (I try removing at different temperatures with the same result).

I feed them 16% layer pellets. The occasional snack they get are usually cabbage, watermelon, sprouts, and apples. Is there something I could feed them, or maybe add to the water that would help supplement what they need to develop better shells?

 

[heidisue]

Oyster shell, egg shells although I always bake mine first just to be double safe. If anybody has salmonella feeding the egg shells is a 100% way to have it spread through the flock. It will be a strain that is adapted to your flock since it was from your egg and it will have had time to grow before you feed it out. If your shells are that thin they may not have a lot of calcium to begin with so maybe oyster shell is the better way to go until they are a little thicker.

The hard boil thing is just because they are fresh. Old eggs are easier to peel.

 

[Kelsie2290]

The recommendation seems to be add (see MSU ext service link)or have have oyster shell available to them on the side, and add a poultry vitamin mix to their water, even if you are feeding layer. You might try giving them some high-calcium treats. With six month old red stars it maybe partly their age also, they seem to be prone to thinner shells when starting to lay and when older, know I have better shells on my old hens when they get extra calcium.
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs
http://msucares.com/poultry/feeds/poultry_thin_shells.html

 

[chooks4life]

Firstly, washing eggs is not recommendable unless you very gently wipe them. Scrubbing removes the antibacterial and antifungal membrane (the dried coating on the outside, or the 'bloom') which protects the egg from absorbing disease and so forth.

Secondly, and here I'm only guessing... They need free choice oyster shell/shell grits, if they don't have them, but other sources of calcium will help too. I wouldn't limit their access to calcium.

But if you're very sure you're supplying enough and nothing's helping, then I'd maybe try ACV in the water, as in free choice, because this makes their ph alkaline rather than acid. One thing acid ph does is chew up calcium, and one thing a cooked diet does is produce acid ph, so if you're feeding cooked pellets and not supplying alkaline foods, you can assume they're probably high-acid in ph and this benefits pretty much every disease.

This is just an idea but might help. All the best.

 

[Kelsie2290]

With shelling hardboiled eggs, when they are done cooking the most important thing seems to be to drain them and put them immediately into a lot of ice water, as cold as possible. I dump the eggs and hot water into a colander (even better if the eggs crack some at that point) and then dump them into a big pot of ice and water. Even fresh eggs will peel that way.

 

[heidisue]

Good

With shelling hardboiled eggs, when they are done cooking the most important thing seems to be to drain them and put them immediately into a lot of ice water, as cold as possible. I dump the eggs and hot water into a colander (even better if the eggs crack some at that point) and then dump them into a big pot of ice and water. Even fresh eggs will peel that way.

Good advice, thanks

 

[bruce89123]

Thanks for all advice. I'll give it a try.

 

[chi1cken007]

I have LegHorn eggs. The way to peel them, after boiled in salt water, put them in ice water for one minute. Take them out one by one, then holding the egg vertical, lightly smash the end on the counter. Then turn it over and smash the other end and return to ice water for 10-15 minutes. Make sure the breaks on each end can be penetrated by the water. Take them out one by one, hold between the poms of your hands and role like you would a lemon. The egg will fall out clean as a whistle.