Small and Soft eggs .......

[SteveMadonnaJ]

Yesterday one of my Rhode Island Reds laid an egg about as big and round as a quarter (a fart egg as some would call it), and today I had a normal sized soft shell egg. I have been feeding my chickens Purina Layena Pellets w/oyster shells since they were 18 weeks old (they are almost 7 months now). I have had fart eggs and shell less eggs in the past, but I chalked it up to them being pullets. And, I have had days and weeks where all 7 of my hens gave me great eggs. What can I add to their diet to help to prevent any more of these small and soft eggs?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally both types of eggs can be caused by stress, with soft eggs, the egg comes out before the shell can be applied due to some, usually frightening event, and fairy eggs are from the hens body treating a bit of tissue as an egg and processing it through. Usually too much rowdy behavior, jumping, flying, stuff like that will cause stuff to break off in the oviduct lining. Neither type of egg has anything to do with calcium intake. So keeping things calm can help prevent seeing these types of glitches in the system.

 

[aart]

How old are they and how long have they been laying?
Are you mixing the oyster shell into the layer feed....or in a separate container always available?
Any other foods/treats given?

Describing the size of your flock and coop/run might help too.

 

[SteveMadonnaJ]

How old are they and how long have they been laying?
Are you mixing the oyster shell into the layer feed....or in a separate container always available?
Any other foods/treats given?

Describing the size of your flock and coop/run might help too.

Sorry it took so long in replying ............ All my RIR's (7 hens and 1 roo) are 7 months old and they have been laying since mid September. Since I started keeping count, some days I would have 7 eggs, and some days 4. I am feeding them Purina Layena Pellets w/Oyster Shells. When my wife and I have extra lettuce and such that we don't use, we let the chickens have them. We keep a list of what they can and can not have. Last weekend I moved them into a new larger 86 sq. ft coop with a 10x20 run.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Moving them to a new coop would cause stress and some sort eggs. It should straighten out as they become more comfortable.

 

[aart]

Quote: Hmmmm.....interesting they mix it right in......not a good idea IMO.....but I don't use layer feed anyway.

I like to feed a flock raiser/grower/finisher 20% protein crumble full time to all ages and genders, as non-layers(chicks, males and molting birds) do not need the extra calcium that is in layer feed and chicks and molters can use the extra protein. Makes life much simpler to store and distribute one type of chow that everyone can eat. I do grind up the crumbles (in the blender) for the chicks for the first week or so.

The higher protein crumble also offsets the 8% protein scratch grains and other kitchen/garden scraps I like to offer. I adjust the amounts of other feeds to get the protein levels desired with varying situations.

Calcium should be available at all times for the layers, I use oyster shell mixed with rinsed, dried, crushed chicken egg shells in a separate container.

Animal protein (mealworms, a little cheese - beware the salt content, meat scraps) is provided during molting and if I see any feather eating.