paper eggs??

[chick nana]

I have 2 Rhode Islands and 2 Delewares that were hatched last March. Starting right on schedule, they began to lay nice beautiful eggs. We got the usual double yolks and all, but even through winter we averaged 3 eggs a day. Now, in the height of light and weather for eggs, we suddenly are getting "paper" eggs, no eggs, and sometimes one or two. I am feeding commercial lay crumble, and some fresh greens. I was allowing the girls to free range all day and lock up at night, but now I am not letting them out at all in case they are laying around the yard ( which I cant find) and still production is really off! Help!!

 

[Judy]

Sounds like they need a calcium supplement. Most people offer oyster shell in a separate dish for those who feel they need it; even with thin shells, I would not mix it with the food. You can guess and give a Tums in their water once or twice as a calcium "boost," or do some research and get a more precise dose. They can have regular people calcium though of course you will have to crush the pills.

All about egg defects:

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/11/egg-defects/

 

[BakerzDozen]

I have 2 Rhode Islands and 2 Delewares that were hatched last March. Starting right on schedule, they began to lay nice beautiful eggs. We got the usual double yolks and all, but even through winter we averaged 3 eggs a day. Now, in the height of light and weather for eggs, we suddenly are getting "paper" eggs, no eggs, and sometimes one or two. I am feeding commercial lay crumble, and some fresh greens. I was allowing the girls to free range all day and lock up at night, but now I am not letting them out at all in case they are laying around the yard ( which I cant find) and still production is really off! Help!!

Additionally the birds may be coming into their season to molt. Egg production drops then.

I offer oyster shells and I also dry the shells from the eggs I use then crush them up and feed them back to the birds. They seem to enjoy the egg shells much better.

 

[Messipaw]

I crush up TUMS and people calcium pills and add it to a cooked egg once a week with some vitamin D and red pepper flacks mixed in. I was getting soft shelled eggs and thin shelled eggs that were cracking in the nest box. They would eat them up. It was a mess and so frustrating. Ever since I started this mixture I've been lucky with nice shelled eggs. Good luck.