Retrain a hen?

[1 acre willows]

The boxes I made use paint pans with outside capert glued to the high parts where you run your roller over it a few times. Did it that way so I can wash them easily with a hose and wash all the crap out from under the carp too... that being said the boxes and pans sit on a shelf so I can remove the pans toss in some hay and have a normal box too..... might have to try that.... they have been know to step on and break then eat the eggs and I don't want to deal with that frustration again if I don't have to. Also I have one bird who just consistently lays dinosaur eggs, she's one of smallest of the birds, no bannies here, but they are paper thin shells, yes I feed layer crumble, yes there's all the oyster shell they could want.... aaaaand they eat it too bout 10-15 lbs a year

 

[aart]

they have been know to step on and break then eat the eggs and I don't want to deal with that frustration again if I don't have to.

I hear ya!! I got rid of a chronic thin shell layer this spring after months and months of nest messing.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have been wondering, and worrying, about this very thing. Yep, I had to add the word worrying in there because that’s what I do. I overthink everything, especially if it’s something that’s new to me.
My pullets are 13 weeks old today and are already out and about in the yard, unlike my original hens who didn’t free range until they were a year old and were seasoned nestbox layers. I hope that I don’t have trouble with the littles trying to make nests and lay in the bushes. I have already thought/worried about it and figured it would be best to leave them up until lunch. Hopefully the majority of them will get the idea. Hopefully.

Do you still have the original hens? Are they still laying? If so, the youngsters MAY follow the older hens, and mimic their behavior. If you have a run, you might just take a "wait and see" approach. Put some fake eggs in the nest boxes, make them nice and comfy with lots of hay for them to "rearrange to their liking". Or you could take a preemptive approach. Wait until you see signs that those first eggs are due to arrive (squatting for you, or being bred by a mature rooster, singing the egg song, or spending a lot of time "playing house" in the nest boxes. When you see those signs, block them into coop and run. This is one reason why it's important for your birds to have a run, even if you let them free range EVERY day.

The boxes I made use paint pans with outside capert glued to the high parts where you run your roller over it a few times. Did it that way so I can wash them easily with a hose and wash all the crap out from under the carp too... that being said the boxes and pans sit on a shelf so I can remove the pans toss in some hay and have a normal box too..... might have to try that.... they have been know to step on and break then eat the eggs and I don't want to deal with that frustration again if I don't have to. Also I have one bird who just consistently lays dinosaur eggs, she's one of smallest of the birds, no bannies here, but they are paper thin shells, yes I feed layer crumble, yes there's all the oyster shell they could want.... aaaaand they eat it too bout 10-15 lbs a year

IMO calcium is not the complete answer regarding weak egg shells. If the feed is old (older than 6 weeks) some of the nutrients can be oxidized. Other vitamins and minerals must be present in the correct balance for an egg to be of good quality. And some birds simply don't metabolize the feed as efficiently as others. Try giving the flock a good quality multivitamin to see if that makes a difference for your weak shell layer. And as Aart says, sometimes you just need to cull the problem layers to ensure that your egg basket stays clean.

 

[1 acre willows]

If they weren't so frigging big and steady, I would cull her. Plus that she is into anything and everything, one of the most garden/ flower box destroyers chickens were have. Mischevious feather bag pain in my rear end

 

[aart]

If the feed is old (older than 6 weeks) some of the nutrients can be oxidized.

Do you really get feed that's less than a month from MFG date...brand name commercial feed? Typical here is more than that, am lucky to get less than 6 weeks. Are there studies? It just doesn't seem reasonable and wonder what the median 'age' is.

 

[aart]

Mischevious feather bag pain in my rear end

 

[1 acre willows]

I think she's very much motivated by her stomach..... cat leaves any food behind, she's in it. Saw a mouse I chased out of the hay bale, mouse had no chance..... although the ensuing chicken battle royale that quickly formed, followed by my rooster thinking he was gonna break it up and quickly saw what the fight was over then being in on it too. Then said chicken, that ws originally mentioned, I see running vigorously aaaaand victoriously away with a dead mouse in its beak was good for a few laughs

 

[1 acre willows]

That's her

 

[lazy gardener]

Do you really get feed that's less than a month from MFG date...brand name commercial feed? Typical here is more than that, am lucky to get less than 6 weeks. Are there studies? It just doesn't seem reasonable and wonder what the median 'age' is.

Yes, I do. I do not do business with TSC b/c their feed is almost always old. Almost always, the feed I buy is within 2 weeks of mill date. I do not stock a lot of extra feed, but when my flock size is "up", I can buy enough at one time to take advantage of the $10.00 off when you spend $50 coupons. My source is referenced in the Small flock book by Harvey Ussery. I've quoted him many times, and prefer to take the word of someone who does not stand to make a profit from his nutritional advice statements. It's common knowledge that grains start to oxidize as soon as they are milled.

 

[1 acre willows]

I started buying nutrena, only getting 40 lbs bags not 50s for the same price but I can get it now where's it's, at oldest, 4 weeks usually closer to 2... I buy enough to last me 3-4 weeks.... it's dryer and more powdery but it doesn't seem to go to waste and they love the meat bird crumble as a treat if I don't toss out any scratch