My eggs keep getting hairline cracks

[vweers]

I know they are still young layers but it is almost like they are getting dropped or stepped on. Now I put cut straw in the nesting box but they always push it aside when they lay making a dent which is fine but it exposes the wood on the bottom. I don't know if that is the problem or if it is just a calcium issue. Sometimes it is broken further but those are usually in the main coop area and not in the nesting box. Any ideas?

 

[GitaBooks]

It could be they aren't getting enough calcium. Offer some oyster shell.

If it is from the drop that the cracks are appearing, you can try one of the specially made nest liners along with straw.

My chickens crack their eggs by pecking at them.

Genetics can play into thin shells also, along with diet.


I hope this helps. Best of luck!

 

[vweers]

It could be they aren't getting enough calcium. Offer some oyster shell.

If it is from the drop that the cracks are appearing, you can try one of the specially made nest liners along with straw.

My chickens crack their eggs by pecking at them.

Genetics can play into thin shells also, along with diet.


I hope this helps. Best of luck!

I already offer oyster shell for them. They are still on growing food because I bought the bag weeks before they started laying so I put out oyster shells. I am wondering if they are pecking them but not sure - I try to leave them alone while laying as they (especially my EE"s) get distacted. The EE's often spend about 30 min to an hour to lay their egg in the box. I have some nest liners on order but trying to see if there is something else I need to check before I do so. Their shells don't seem too thin as when I crack them to use them, I have to crack it pretty good. Thanks for your idea. What do you do for the chickens pecking the eggs?

 

[GitaBooks]

Honestly, the only two things I have really found to work to stop egg eating has been getting rid of the hen that is starting it (usually a leghorn in my flock) or collecting far more often. One hen that I had would wait in the coop for a hen to lay just so she could eat them. Her beak always had dried yolk on it.
Other people suggest special nest boxes that allow the eggs to roll away from the hens, dark nest boxes so they can't see the egg (being unable to see or easily reach it certainly helps), and filling an egg with something that tastes bad so they don't want to try it.

 

[aart]

Putting some fake eggs in the nests can help, the ceramic or hard, solid plastic ones.
They peck on those a few times and give up.

Read funny one recently...roll a fake egg onto the floor and see who goes after it...remove that bird.