Paper thin eggshells

[berkchicks]

Hi guys!

So I have a nearly one year old black australope hen who is very sweet and happy and behaves very normally.

My girls did not late start leaving until October but she never really caught on. She would have a couple here and there but it being winter time and nearly dark all the time I didn’t really think much about it.

Well now she is laying more regularly but all of her eggs are paper thin. They almost always are found in the coop destroyed. Every once a while I’ll find one out in the run and it basically falls apart as soon as you touch it.

They are on Purina Layena Pellets.

All of my girls are very docile and get along great. I will say that she probably is the lowest one in the pecking order though, but nothing extreme at all, so I’m not very worried about stress.

Could it be lack of sunlight?

I don’t care about the eggs, my girls are my pets. I just want to make sure that she’s OK.

 

[2 many chickens]

Are you offering oyster shells? Need more calcium it seems

 

[cmom]

I agree, try giving them some oyster shells. Most feed stores carry them. I do give my birds oyster shells but every once in a great while I will get a thin shelled egg.

 

[BuffOrps32]

Are you offering oyster shells? Need more calcium it seems

I agree, try giving them some oyster shells. Most feed stores carry them. I do give my birds oyster shells but every once in a great while I will get a thin shelled egg.

x2

 

[C. Conner]

I have a Red Sex Link that has always had thin shells. I give free choice oyster shell and mostly the rest of my hens have nice shells except on occasion! Good luck!

 

[aart]

It's a shell gland issue, it happens.
I have had several birds that lay thin shells, it's a messy PITA.

She could have problems uptaking and distributing the calcium in the layer feed.
When only one bird in a flock has shell issues, it's not likely the diet but the bird.
Offering OS on the side might help, as might giving her calcium supplements(@azygous has experience with this).

'Good' shells are not just about calcium but also other nutrients that are needed to make the calcium 'work'.
Her being low hen, are you sure she's getting her fair share of the feed?

What all and how exactly are you feeding?