molting

[tstefanick]

Can anyone tell me if it is common for eggshells to be thinner during molting? Nothing has changed in the girls' daily care on our part but we seem to have more broken eggs, not necessarily pecked or eaten, and the shells seem thinner to me.

 

[monathequeen]

Hi, molting does not cause thin shells. Do they have accsess to grit ?
Do they free range ? if not, they probably need more dirt in their diets. My chicks are in a run all day and peck at the earth.

 

[cmom]

I offer my birds free choice dishes of oyster shells and grit. The oyster shells provide calcium to help in hardening their egg shells.

From McMurray Hatchery:
"For strong eggs Oyster Shell is a must have: Laying hens need a source of calcium to keep their eggshells strong. Hens that get too little calcium will lay thin-shelled eggs that will be prone to breakage. Eggshells are made of calcium carbonate, the same as found in oyster shells."

 

[BushHog936]

Chickens normally don't lay while they are in molt.

Use oyster shell from the feed store for their grit as it's higher in calcium.

 

[crooked stripe]

In the past 1.5 years of collecting and eating eggs I have never given oyster shells or grit. I would hate to guess how many yokes I have broken trying to crack open eggs. I think it depends on where you live and what kind of soil you have. It never hurts to offer grit or oyster shells but in my case it has not been needed. My birds spend 80% of the time roaming the large sandy run. I feed Purina layer feed.