Soft Egg Shell

The pecking orded is not the problem cause we have observed her eating many times.
 
We checked our food and it has 3.9% calcium and it has phosphorus in it also. We also limit the amount of scratch we give them. She is molting a lot so we didn't know if that has something to do with her soft eggs!
 
I'm out of suggestions. It is curious, though, that she is molting and still laying eggs.

Typical behavior is that the molt shuts down egg production. Their "energy" gets diverted from egg production to new feather production.

Very curious.
 
We checked our food and it has 3.9% calcium and it has phosphorus in it also. We also limit the amount of scratch we give them. She is molting a lot so we didn't know if that has something to do with her soft eggs!
our hens sometimes lay through their molts.
 
According to Chicken Health Handbook, a Vitamin D deficiency can cause shell-less eggs. The following was paraphrased from the book.

A lack of sunshine is one cause of Vitamin D deficiency. Another is using feed that is intended for other livestock, since chickens need Vitamin D3, while most other livestock needs Vitamin D2.

Typical signs of a Vitamin D deficiency is normal egg production followed by soft or shell-less eggs, followed by a drop in production, and then a return to normal production. The hen may have weak legs right before she lays, causing her to squat "in a penguin-like stance."

Deficiencies can be corrected by adding cod liver oil to their feed or vitamin powders to their water.

There's more. This is one of my go-to books that is chocked full of great information!
 
We are feeding them laying pellets and laying crumbles for chickens so I think they are getting what they need. As far as vit.D, they are out in the sun daily. We actually have 3 road island reds. It is one of them laying the soft egg shell. The other hens lay different looking eggs. We will get one of those books you recommended. Thanks so much for all the feed back. It is all very helpful.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom