My sex link has soft shell eggs

[lrayle]

Can anyone tell me why she is laying eggs without a hard shell. It just started Is she missing something in her diet

 

[sumi]

If she's a new layer it could be due to an immature shell gland, perfectly normal and will resolve itself as she continues laying and gets more experienced. If she's an experienced layer causes could be due to something lacking in her diet, disease, stress, an infestation of internal or external parasites. More info here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

 

[lrayle]

Thank you she is not a new layer she is three more she did get attacked by Hawk about two weeks ago she did lay one hardshell since then how can you tell she's got parasites

 

[aart]

Probably just stress from the attack. All hens can have glitches in their machine.
Give her some time, if the soft eggs continue then she might have another problem.

Might help to list here what you are feeding her.

 

[lrayle]

They have scratch and corn and I give them a snack in the evenings of bun and some grapes sometimes and she is a big eater she will catch the bun in her mouth before it hits the ground but they all share one bun in the evenings so she's not getting my whole a lot of bread i do mixup some oyster shells in their scratch and corn

 

[aart]

You don't feed any balanced diet chicken chow?
Do you know the exact ingredients of the 'scratch'?
That could be your problem...lack of proper nutrition.
Doesn't sound like they're getting much if any protein.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

"Scratch" is not the same as chicken feed. It is a low-protein (usually 6-9%) mix of grains that is used sparingly as a treat to promote scratching and exercise. Corn is also not a balanced chicken feed, and usually runs around 6% protein. Bread has nothing to offer a chicken nutritionally, and grapes are mostly sugar.

Laying hens need a minimum of 16% protein to lay well. Switch your birds to layer ration, which will contain everything they need to live including proper amounts of calcium and other vitamins and minerals. Feed it free-choice (all they can eat, every day) instead of doling out small amounts.

Just like any animal, including humans, chickens need proper nutrition to be healthy. Egg shell problems and poor laying are the first places you'll see a lack of nutrition. Sex links are bred to be egglaying machines will very little excess body weight, and poor nutrition can hit them even harder than other breeds.

 

[lrayle]

thank you very much for the advice but what is layer ration I have laying mash mixed with their food but they dont eat it If its the same thing as what your talking about They also have a flock block to eat on But whatever they need I will go to tractor supply and get it for them Thanks again for your help

 

[aart]

thank you very much for the advice but what is layer ration I have laying mash mixed with their food but they dont eat it If its the same thing as what your talking about They also have a flock block to eat on But whatever they need I will go to tractor supply and get it for them Thanks again for your help

What is the brand name of the laying mash that you have? Or if you get it at a mill, do they provide the nutritional levels?

 

[lrayle]

we use Dumor Poultry Crumble laying mash from tractor supply I have increased the laying mash and am mixing it up in their corn so I hope this gives them what they need I guess time will tell Thank you so much I just want my bays to have everything they need plus so extra lol