My Rhode Island Red is Laying strange eggs & I cannot figure out what is going on.

[MissDolly]

They eat Nature’s Best Orgaic egg layer pellets and late in the day a treat of non-gmo scratch combined with Garden delight and dried grubs or organic fruits & veggies. I don’t know how old is is. Any suggestions??

 

[DucklingLover232]

Our road island lays those eggs sometimes to I think it’s ok cause she seems fine. Probably just a little deformity

 

[MissDolly]

Thanks!! I’ve lost 2 chickens recently & I was worried.

 

[iwltfum]

It's pretty normal to see this kind of deformity. Definitely not something to worry about. I see it alot on my older hens. Some free choice calcium can help if that's the problem, but more often than not from my experience, it's an old age situation.

 

[ChicChicblossom12]

I'm sorry for the loss of your two chickens, but my older hens also lay those kinds of eggs every now and then. No need to worry!

 

[aart]

Are both pics the same eggs?
I'd cut out all but the layer feed for a week or two and see if things improve.

 

[MissDolly]

It's pretty normal to see this kind of deformity. Definitely not something to worry about. I see it alot on my older hens. Some free choice calcium can help if that's the problem, but more often than not from my experience, it's an old age situation.

Thanks! I feed them organic. What would you suggest as a organic source of free choice calcium?

Are both pics the same eggs?
I'd cut out all but the layer feed for a week or two and see if things improve.

They are from the same chicken laid 1 day apart.

 

[iwltfum]

Thanks! I feed them organic. What would you suggest as a organic source of free choice calcium?

We use oyster/periwinkle shells that I collect from shell bars during low tide from the ocean near my house, but we are part of a lucky few that has access to that resource. I'm sure there is organic labeled oyster shell at some feed stores. I wouldn't be surprised if any and all oyster shell is considered organic by the USDA since it is just the crushed shell of oysters. Other than that, I'm really not sure what your options would be.

 

[aart]

We use oyster/periwinkle shells that I collect from shell bars during low tide from the ocean near my house, but we are part of a lucky few that has access to that resource.

Any concerns about residual salt?

I wouldn't be surprised if any and all oyster shell is considered organic by the USDA since it is just the crushed shell of oysters. Other than that, I'm really not sure what your options would be.

Ditto Dat.

 

[iwltfum]

Any concerns about residual salt?

I was definitely slightly concerned about that when I first got the idea. I've thought about rinsing it somehow, but it seems like too much work. I always let it drain of any sea water and air dry, but I'm guessing a good bit of the salts stay with it in that case. They gobble the stuff up way faster than oyster shell from the store and I haven't had a problem with it in the couple years that I've been using it. I like to think that it's just extra electrolytes, but I have no way to confirm that. My hens go through about 400lbs of it per year. Which comes to about 3lbs per year each. And the shells are strong and consistent (unless I forget to fill their shell feeder for a couple weeks). I was spending way too much on bagged oyster shell before, which is why I decided to start collecting it myself.

My chick/broiler grit also comes from the low tide shore line, just a different spot that I have found collects the perfect size grit. I only started using that this year. I've been mixing it in to the broiler food at about 1/2 cup per 25lbs and haven't had any issues (knock on wood). They seem to be growing faster than most years, but maybe just because the weather has cooperated.