How Long for Calcium Deficiency Correction?

[BonnieBlue]

My girls will be 8 months old this week, and have been laying beautiful eggs for two months. A couple of days ago, I noticed that their calcium/grit feeder (one unit with dividers) had gotten the divider loose, and the calcium and grit were mixed together and there was not much calcium left. I repaired the feeder, and refilled the calcium. I was thinking then that there was a chance they might not have been getting enough calcium because of it and refilled the calcium side at that time.

This morning, I had a paper thin egg that broke when one laid in the same nest immediately after another and broke the egg. I found shell that looked like rolled up wet paper, with the yolk and egg white mushed into the nesting pad.

I am going to go on the theory that the problem was from a lack of calcium. I mixed up some ground up egg shells in mash, to give them a boost along with the calcium that has been refilled.

How long will it take their little bodies to get the calcium built back up to reverse any deficiency and thin shells? Should I keep giving them ground up shells on top of the oyster shell free offering?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would not grind the eggshells, bigger pieces stay in their system longer. I would smash them up to roughly the same size as the oyster shell and add them to the oyster shell, as some birds prefer it and will eat it more readily than oyster.

If they were needing more calcium and not getting it recently, it should only take a week or two max for them to be back to normal again.

 

[BonnieBlue]

Thank you. I ended up throwing away the mash with the eggshells. They didn't like it and it just sat there, whereas they usually would shank each other for it. I'll try bigger pieces and see if they will eat it that way. If not, I'll just wait for the oyster shell to do its thing.

Luckily, rn it seems like it is just the one girl. She is also the newest layer at just over a month.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Luckily, rn it seems like it is just the one girl. She is also the newest layer at just over a month.

Might've been just a new layer glitch. Unless it keeps occurring, I wouldn't worry about, just continue supplementing on the side as you already have been.