Really need advice--soft egg shells for 2 wks

[eggsontoast]

I have two pullets who just came into lay 2 weeks ago. All the eggs they've laid have had soft shells...they feel like under-filled water balloons with perfect whites and yolks inside. I am currently feeding them a soy-free, organic laying mash, (which I began 2 weeks ago) and am adding crushed oyster shell to their feed and scratch. They tend to pick through their feed and eat it selectively and I don't know if they're even eating the oyster shell. I allow them to free-range in my semi-wooded, enclosed backyard all day as they love to scratch, dust-bathe and lie in the sun. They seem to be very happy chickens!! Why won't their shells harden up??!! Since both are laying soft-shelled eggs I tend to think it's a dietary deficiency and not a problem associated with a particular chicken. I'm about to try crushed Tums as a last resort. Please help me figure out what's wrong!!

 

[Fred's Hens]

IMHO, good layer feed incorporates the daily minimum requirement of calcium right into the feed. No picking through.

That said, pullets often begin "laying" with rubber eggs. If it goes on for another week or two, I would be concerned and change their diet.
You'd have nothing to lose.

 

[Scoop]

You could try adding oyster shell to their diet.

 

[schellie69]

I would offer the oyster shell free choice. I use crushed up egg shells to them. I did noticed that mine had soft shells for a while when they started. See what the layer you are feeding them has for percentage on calcium. I feed flock raiser or game bird feed when they free range for a higher protein percent then give crushed egg shells once a week. Good luck.

 

[eggsontoast]

As I stated in my original post, I have been giving them oyster shell since they started laying. The list of ingredients on their bag of feed lists Calcium Carbonate as the 5th ingredient. Could it be a deficiency of something besides calcium?

 

[h2olilee]

They also need sufficient Vitamin D3 and Phosphorus in order to absorb the calcium. I give mine a treat of mealworms lightly coated with cod liver oil and then sprinkled with calcium powder that also contains phosphorus- you can get it at pet stores in the reptile section. They love it! I also add calcium gluconate to their water (found in the cattle section at the feed store). I've been having soft/no shell problems and this is what my vet recommended.