ISA Brown pullets soft shelled eggs

[Tsjschickens]

We have 2 isa browns that are 17 weeks old. They started laying last week but only soft shelled eggs. They are laying them in the coop at night when they sleep. We clean out the pan in the mornings and there they are. Is it normal for them to be doing this? I thought maybe one or 2 miss fires but it keeps happening. Its also been very hot and they have access to oyster shells.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That is young for onset of lay so problems can be expected. I would probably switch to layer feed for a little while till they put 2 and 2 together and realize the oyster shell is there. You don't want it to go on too long or they can get rickets or worse.
Starting to lay that early, they didn't have time to amass sufficient calcium in the medullary bone, which is where the calcium in egg shells come from.
You could even try a calcium supplement in the feed or water for a few days.
Layer feed has the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus to D3 for good egg shell production. Just adding calcium doesn't always fix the problem if it is a ratio issue.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Also feeding chicken junk food like spinach and kale will result in an inability of pullets and hens to absorb and utilize what calcium that they do manage to eat.

 

[Tsjschickens]

That is young for onset of lay so problems can be expected. I would probably switch to layer feed for a little while till they put 2 and 2 together and realize the oyster shell is there. You don't want it to go on too long or they can get rickets or worse.
Starting to lay that early, they didn't have time to amass sufficient calcium in the medullary bone, which is where the calcium in egg shells come from.
You could even try a calcium supplement in the feed or water for a few days.
Layer feed has the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus to D3 for good egg shell production. Just adding calcium doesn't always fix the problem if it is a ratio issue.

Thanks, They have been layer feed now for a week or so because our 2 calico princess started laying early too but they have had no problems so far. What would be a good calcium to put in there water?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Go to your local pharmacy and ask for a human version.
Since they are already on layer feed, I certainly wouldn't overdo a calcium supplement.
As I said, the correct ratio of calciumhosphorus:vitamin D3 needs to be in the diet or it can cause problems. When an egg enters the uterus, the calcium needed to create the calcium carbonate comes from the medullary bone. That is then replaced throughout the day by the diet.
The fact that it is hot there is likely exacerbating the problem.

 

[Isa mom]

I noticed recently that my Isa reds egg shells care getting thinner. Today one broke in the nest. They are about 18 months old. Their feed is a mixture of 20 percent lay pellets and 22 percent crumbles. They were wormed in May and will worm again the later part of November. They free range 4 to 5 hours a day. Suggestions to solve this issue?

 

[aart]

I noticed recently that my Isa reds egg shells care getting thinner. Today one broke in the nest. They are about 18 months old. Their feed is a mixture of 20 percent lay pellets and 22 percent crumbles. They were wormed in May and will worm again the later part of November. They free range 4 to 5 hours a day. Suggestions to solve this issue?

Probably just those weird eggs you can get as they slow production for winter break and to molt.
I'm assuming that you are in the northern hemisphere.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I noticed recently that my Isa reds egg shells care getting thinner. Today one broke in the nest. They are about 18 months old. Their feed is a mixture of 20 percent lay pellets and 22 percent crumbles. They were wormed in May and will worm again the later part of November. They free range 4 to 5 hours a day. Suggestions to solve this issue?

I assume the 22 % crumbles are not a layer feed - therefor about 1% calcium. If so, a 50:50 mix of layer and another feed will yield 2.5% calcium, not the 4% suggested for a layer feed. If at 18 months, your birds are prolific and building lots of egg shells, that discrepancy could be the root of the problem. And if all your birds are that age, 21% protein is really too high for them. You may be detecting an ammonia smell coming from the bedding due to the excess protein they don't need being shed in the feces.

ETA - to correct an error I made differentiating between calcium and protein. Sometimes my ancient brain gets addled.