Shell less egg?

[brybellchicks]

I have 11 hens 2 are dutch bantams who have started laying the most perfect tiny quarter sized eggs ( my 6 yr olds favs to eat) I have 5 RIR pullets who are laying well a silkie also laying well a black star laying well a silver laced wyandotte also laying well then I have 2 20 week old buff orp who have just started laying last week. No egg issues until today I found an egg in the poop hammock underneath the roosting bar just a membrane no shell brought it in to check it out and it was perfect great white nice fresh looking /smelling yolk. Is this normal I think it one of the orp because they tend to lay in the run getting used to it i guess I also had a RIR layin odd places til she got the hang of it . I feed them layena crumbles and I also crush their shells and mix in I have a small feeder with calcium in it but they never touch it any advice should i just sit back and see or should I add a little more calcium in their feed ? Thanks guys

 

[ChickensRDinos]

A few shell less eggs or other odd egg issues are normal for new layers whose bodies are just getting used to the process. I would not worry about it unless it continues on for a long time.

Too much calcium can also be bad so I would keep extra calcium on the side and not mix it in where it might be hard to pick out if they do not need it.

 

[Big A Chickens]

Some hens will lay a shell-less egg when they first start laying. I would watch it for a day or so. It could be a sign of calcium deficiency, but the layena should be good enough. But you could also try sprinkling some of the calcium in with her feed separately if the eggs from your other hens are normal.

 

[brybellchicks]

thanks just wanted to be sure......

 

[brybellchicks]

is it ok that I crush their shells up in their feed it averages 5-8 shells a week

 

[mickey328]

Absolutely. I save all our eggshells. When I get a couple cups of them crushed, I put them in the food processor and grind them till they're not quite powder, but finer than you can crush by hand. We keep them in a small can attached to the underside of the coop and the girls help themselves. Their instinct for what they need is pretty good. We keep both grit and calcium available at all times and they just help themselves to what they need.