Laying eggs with thin shells in random places

[jackcooper]

I have 2 hens now and one of them is doing fine but the outher is not doing to good. She used to lay really good eggs in her nest box but now she is laying random eggs in the morning that have to thin shells. When you pick the egg up it kind of breaks in your hand. She has been eating plenty of oyster shells What is going on please help

 

[heartsizedfarm]

How old is she? What are you feeding her?

 

[jackcooper]

About 5 months old and I am feeding her a mixture of layers pellets and oyster shell

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Hmmm. I asked her age because my older hens had very brittle eggs. But they were four, five years old. Some experts will I'm sure weigh in, but maybe she needs more protein than the layer pellets? Offer tuna fish, scrambled eggs? I learned about black oiled sunflower seeds from this site and my laying hens love that. Also feed back their own crushed up eggshells?

 

[jackcooper]

Oh ok I will try that thanks do you recommend any thing else that I can try

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Aside from the brittle eggs does she look alright?

 

[jackcooper]

In good condition I just don't know what is up with her she used to lay in the nest box but now around the garden anywhere at 8:00 in the morning now

 

[heartsizedfarm]

If she's generally in good condition then maybe a boost to the diet with BOSS and eggshells might be enough. As for leaving the nest box, that's another puzzle isn't it? Is the other hen overly protective of it? Is it maybe not private and quiet enough there? That's not a nutrition question, that calls for a chicken psychiatrist!

 

[jackcooper]

The other hen is fine about it and they both have there part of the nest box where they lay but l thought it was quite random of her to leave it. The other morning the same hen layed an egg where it was just shell and no yolk why is this ?

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Like your avatar! Those yolk less eggs are called wind eggs I think. I get those sometimes too, from my young hens. Like a little popped balloon. Maybe these anomalies are just part of the normal egg laying range?