Question about eggs

[PattiS72]

So my hens have been laying pretty good. My white hens (thinking they are White Plymouth Rocks or Cornish) had laid a few soft shelled eggs and my smaller hens have laid a few as well. I have been giving them egg shells, along with some kitchen scraps and their regular egg layer feed. I was going to ask how often I should give them the egg shells. Because it's been a few weeks without a soft shelled egg. Until this morning. So far the smaller hens laid 3 eggs this morning--a hard shelled, soft shelled and I guess a soft shelled one that they stepped on or something (I almost missed it because I thought it was just a big poop). Here are some pics.

 

[Judy]

Can you post pics of the hens, perhaps with something for size comparison? I'm thinking perhaps they are cornish cross and low on nutrients because of this cross's rapid growth rate.

 

[Honey B]

I always have egg shells mixed with oyster shells available for my girls at all times. Their extra calcium is in a separate bowl from their food so they can get what they need.

 

[song of joy]

Provide crushed oyster shell to them 24/7 in a separate container. They'll use it whenever they need it. Crushed egg shells are fine too, but it's easier to keep the oyster shell available for them 24/7.

 

[PattiS72]

Quote:
Judy, I'm not sure which chickens are laying them in the big coop--this morning all chickens were out of the boxes when I went to feed. How much does the crushed oyster shell cost? I have some oyster shells around from when my hubby had them. Not sure how I should crush them. Right now we are going through eggs a lot, so I am always saving their shells--I just throw them in the coop. This is a pic of my smaller hens (the ones the two soft shelled eggs came from this morning).

 

[farmgirl200]

One of my chickens this winter laid an egg, it was frozen, and we stepped on it, just to see how it would be, and it looked just like the second egg in your picture. Maybe if you have many chickens or big chickens they could've stepped on it, same with the third one, but the first egg looks fine. Hope this helps!

 

[PattiS72]

Quote:
There are 8 chickens in this coop. All about the same size. I figured the squashed one was stepped on, just wondering if why they would be laying soft shelled eggs since I've been giving them the egg shells.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Quote:
Are you feeding layer feed or a grower ration? Is the egg shell the only calcium source you are offering (ie no oyster shell as well)?
An occasional glitch is just that and not really anything I get too overly concerned with - however, if this becomes a consistent issue and/or you are feeding a non-layer ration with only egg shells for calcium (they are a source of calcium, but not an optimal one for the sole source of calcium for laying birds due to the amount of calcium they are able to draw from them vs. other supplements, feeds, etc) that would be where I would suggest some further thought on the matter.

 

[Judy]

Occasionally a chicken will indeed have some sort of defect so thsat she lays mostly or all soft shelled eggs. But it's certainly true that they occaionally happen to many if not all of us' I certainly seeone now and then. Let's hope this is just an occasional problem that occurred in a bit of a clump for you!

Here are some links for more info on egg defects, if you want to really get into it:

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

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/ps/ps02900.pdf

 

[RonP]

Do not count on eggshells as a source of calcium.

If you do a bit of research, you will find that eggshells just don't stay in the digestive tract long enough for much absorption.

Seems it's always recommended to have free choice oyster shells for a calcium supplement with laying birds.