How do I improve the quality of these eggs/shells?

[poodlechicks]

I agree with abmaddox1981 back in the first page of this thread. Mix the oyster shell with the diet and see if there is any improvement.
If only a few are laying these kind of eggs, I think they are not having access to the oyster shell in the diet because they might be at the end of the pecking order. I say that because you also mentioned there's a little bullying going on. Also, if the egg quality is improving during spring/summer, it might be because the chickens are not fighting over what they perceive to be limited resources. The dominant ones are probably out there enjoying the greens, which gives the chickens on the lower end more access to the oyster shell. Just a thought.

I wish you good luck and beautiful eggs!

 

[KayN93]

I remember a friend of mine who had to mashed up clam shells for the chickens to harden their shells. They need the calcium. I wish I knew the best way to do that though. I think my friend had worked a pile for so long that it was easy. Mash them on a rock.

 

[Poultriary]

I have been told that limestone grit will improve the quality of the shell if it is substituted for oyster shell. This was only told to me by a well regarded local poultry enthusiast and I have not tried it out myself.

By the way, on the post regarding toxics, there have been some studies on whether lead is taken up in egg shells and it does not appear to be in any significant way. Being an industrial hygienist and a state-certified lead risk assessor, I found that interesting as part of the reason that lead causes problems in the body is due to it chemically mimicking calcium. Also, iron is not considered a "heavy metal" in the manner that lead, cadmium and uranium are, which is not to say that it wouldn't have an effect on the egg shell. It is as much of an essential element for chickens as it is for humans and should not be lumped with the true "heavy metals".

Finally, asbestos is not "toxic" in the way that some of the other items are. Asbestos is one of the least chemically reactive substances you'll find. Asbestos is "toxic" because it doesn't break down in the body and when you breath it in, it lodges in the alveoli of the lungs and creates scar tissue, which can then become cancerous (incidentally, that "natural pest control" diatomaeceous earth will do the same thing if you breath it in). Although there is some cancer that can result from long term ingestion of asbestos because some of it can imbed itself in the cells of the g. i. tract, but for the most part, asbestos passes right through the g.i. tract like the fiber it is.

 

[Legend]

Make sure they can eat grass and for the shell... keep all your egg shells and bake them over night at the bottom of your oven on a low heat then smash them up. They need to be baked give them to your chickens in their food. Fresh garlic too.

 

[TulsaChick]

What is BOSS?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

BOSS= Black Oil Sunflower Seeds

 

[Legend]

Make sure they can eat grass and
for the shell... keep all your egg shells and bake them over night at the bottom of your oven on a low heat then smash them up. They need to be baked give them to your chickens in their food. Fresh garlic too.

There was a good reason to bake them for so long ... a third generation chicken breeder / chicken supply supplier told me. I know for sure it is calcium. I might ring and ask because I want to know.

 

[gootziecat]

We all probably run into egg issues from time to time. Sometimes I think it's the genetics of the hen.

Incase you don't know, Blue Seal makes a layer feed called Extra Egg that has extra calcium in it for stronger eggs shells.

 

[Chikyn]

Add oyster shells or eggshells into their diet. My chicken's eggs had thin shells before too and i think that calcium boosts would really help

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You've had a lot of really good suggestions already so I won't add much here other than to reinforce a couple of previously mentioned ideas should you discover that further manipulating the feed doesn't provide improvement (as you've already been doing quite of bit of that and it sounds like you've got a good feed regiment already).

1. I can second the use of calcite grit instead of oyster shell. My hens eat it much better and I see improvement in the egg shell with it. Sometimes you can see undigested grit on the shell as tiny bumps here and there, like a grain of sand got stuck in the shell, but the shells are strong and look normal. If they don't seem to eat it free feed add it to their layer feed.

2. Check their vitamin D intake (my money is on this one)....hens do need vitamin D to help absorb and use calcium...something I've learned we here in "sunny" Oregon all need to supplement, including our poor soggy chickens who endure our grey days with us....your long winter may have indeed affected their production due to lack of vitamin D...good sunshine may or may not be enough to remedy if there was a real deficit over the winter and your short summers don't provide enough sunshine.

3. Consider disease, in particular Infectious Bronchitis (IB). I only mention this as other hens seem to be now involved. It is unlikely as you've said the hens seem healthy, but a mild case could spread through a flock with little sign other than affected egg production. Usually IB spreads quickly and is evidenced by a cough, sneezing, rales (wheezing), but sometimes if the virus is more mild it can produce a barely noticeable "nick." If you are getting weirdly mis-shaped eggs, that spread to other hens, suspect IB. IB eggs have funny ridges and lumps, off color shell (pale instead of brown), fragile, watery whites. My flock just went through what must have been a bout of IB. A couple of the hens coughed a deep bronchitis cough, a couple wheezed, but most had a barely noticeable "nick." I was lucky that it wasn't a severe case, but my production is slowly coming back after a month of no symptoms, and the shells were inferior for several weeks. One hen is still laying very fragile eggs (the hen who I think brought the infection in as I purchased her as a 6 month old...she had an odd little "coo" that seemed totally harmless...ha.). IB is very infectious, and no amount of sanitation seems to prevent its spread. They catch it from other birds, including wild birds. It may take several weeks to several months for egg production to recover. If a chick caught a mild form, the hen may always be a poor layer or lay odd eggs, hince one possible cause of the "odd" layers.

For others following this thread, here's a photo of a typical IB egg (However IB is only one possible cause for weird eggs):



This is a good site for egg quality and causes.
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/18/misshapen-eggs

Good luck,
Lady of McCamley