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Problem with one chicken out of five

Discussion in 'Feeding & Watering Your Flock' started by the girls club, Nov 2, 2016.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Nov 2, 2016 #1
    the girls club

    the girls club Out Of The Brooder

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    Jul 15, 2013
    I have five Golden Biffs. About 2 or 3 years old. Still laying. Lately I have been getting one soft shelled egg from one chicken. It can be wrinkled on one end. How in the heck can you tell which chicken is laying the soft shell?I feed calcium and grit free choice in the coop.in containers made for the stuff.Iread that chickens know when they need the calcium and grit.Since the chickens are older. I can get from 1 to 3 to 4 to five eggs daily it just depends. I understand that. All the other chickens are laying beautiful eggs. With no problems. It's just one of them.. The are in a run. Because we have a bassett hound and a hawlk is close daily. The only treets they get reacently are pumpking and sunflowers. Plus when the grass is mowed the get the cut grass.. Just a little of that. That blows into the run. I did give them Tunafish once. They have NO worms or mites or bugs on their bodies as I have checked. It's just this one chicken that lays soft shells. How do I tell which one?. So how can I correct the issue? Would game bird feed help?. My layer feed has the right amount of protine in it for the age of my chickens. I have layer feed free choice in a 3 pound feeder. Fill it up half way and by nightfall they have all the feed on the coop floor. I use pine chips on the coop floor and in their beds. With the feed on they floor. I don't put feed in their feeder daily. I moniter their coop floor very closely and put feed in the feeder when needed.. Then we go through the process again.Would more tunafish and even yogurt help?I'm stumped as what to do
     
  3. Nov 2, 2016 #2
    PeepersMama

    PeepersMama Overrun With Chickens

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    Oct 17, 2016
    Mos Eisley Space Port, Tattoine, Outer Rim
    If you look at your chickens as "useful pets" like some people do, then it shouldn't be to hard to figure out who is laying the soft eggs. If not you could try trap nesting. The only catch is you have to be home to let them out of the nest when they are done laying.
    If the hen keeps laying soft eggs consistently, she probably has a problem with her reprodutive organs. She might not be eating the oyster shell, but she might, so just leave it out for them. If she stops laying completely, it is very likely she has begun internal laying, in which case it would be better to send her to heaven. I have had two girls die from internal laying, and it is a long, slow death.

    Hope you figure things out!
     
  5. Nov 2, 2016 #3
    LavernesMom

    LavernesMom New Egg

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    Nov 2, 2016
    Reno, NV
    Are you able to monitor them for a day? I have found that by checking often on my girls and noting who comes out to see you and who is on the nest, I can tell who had a egg and confirm it right after I hear them sing their egg song. Over time, I have been able to tell who lays which egg by the color, size and character marks. I have also had thin shells (in the summer) from one of my girls that didn't last long. That one prefers crushed egg shells to oyster shells, so I offer both free choice.
    Have the eggs gotten bigger over the years? Larger eggs could be the cause as well. The same volume shell must cover larger and larger eggs as the girls age.
    The last thing to look for is the amount of sunshine or vitamin D the girls are getting. They need vitamin D to absorb calcium, so you could check to see if one that may be lowest on the pecking over is hinding in the coop (and not getting enough sunshine)
    I hope this helps you
     

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