Increasing Calcium for Ex-battery hens

[rararanch]

I have 3 ex-battery hens and 11 other hens of different breeds. All my hens other than the ex-battery hens have nice strong shells. They are fed fermented layer pellets twice a day and layer pellets and oyster shell available at all times. I've notice none of the flock consume the oyster shell. I'm worried that the calcium levels in my ex-battery hens will cause retained/soft shell or shell-less eggs. I've already had one die of this and have noticed one layed a soft shell egg yesterday. So my question is, if they won't eat the oyster shell, how can I increase the calcium levels in my ex-battery chickens? TIA

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Soft shelled eggs has nothing to do with calcium intake. Layer has calcium in it so most hens won't require more. Hens not actively laying can get too much calcium from layer. I don't feed layer I use an all flock ration with the oyster shells in a separate bowl.

Many things can cause soft eggs. Stress, heat, disturbances, and glitches in the system are a few. If your hen was sick it might have caused her to get rid of the egg before the shell was applied.

 

[Folly's place]

These birds are genetically programmed to lay a huge number of eggs for one cycle, maybe two, and then be culled. They can be very fragile metabolically because of their breeding, and might do better on an all flock diet, with separate oyster shell, once they notice where it is. Or they might just be finishing out their lives, at least their productive lives. Mary