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soft eggs ALL the time...

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by Wendy'sChicksRock, Jul 18, 2011.

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  1. Jul 18, 2011 #1
    Wendy'sChicksRock

    Wendy'sChicksRock Songster

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    Oakland county ,MI
    My 12 month BCM keeps laying these really soft eggs.. sometimes she skips days and then will lay 2 in a day. they are really soft sometimes she steps on them and then everyone eats the eggs befor i get there. SHe is on 18 % protien with grit and oyster shells in the feed ( my local feed store makes it ) everyone else seems to lay just fine.. whats up with frenchie the BCM??/
     

  4. Jul 18, 2011 #2
    Ridgerunner

    Ridgerunner Free Ranging

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    Feb 2, 2009
    Southeast Louisiana
    You might want to look at this. There are a few things that would cause one hen out of all of them to lay soft shelled eggs. Since the others are laying eggs with good shells and with her age, it is obviously not a lack of calcium in her feed. It is how she uses the calcium.

    Egg Quality Handbook
    http://www.thepoultrysite.com/ourbooks/1/egg-quality-handbook/
     
  6. Jul 18, 2011 #3
    Fred's Hens

    Fred's Hens Crowing Premium Member

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    Oct 14, 2010
    Up North when it's hot, Down South when it's not.
    Try a different calcium source as well. Calcium carbonate can be purchased in pellets. You might know it as garden lime. Caution. Be sure it is Calcitic (calcium lime) not dolomite which is often too high in magnesium. It's worth a try. Just sprinkle a few handfuls into the run or coop where the hens can scratch and pick at it.
     
  8. Jul 18, 2011 #4
    allpeepedout

    allpeepedout Songster

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    Mar 2, 2011
    Southern Indiana
    Mine just started laying (on the early side) and I found a first egg broken and eaten. They were not yet on layer feed. Following a university extension article, I gave a few bowls of milk, as well as switching to layer feed and putting out crushed eggshells. Now I have gotten about 2 doz. eggs from 4 pullets that are super hard to crack. Thickest eggshells I can recall.

    Love to find those 49 cent expiring half-gallons of milk! It's great to cool them down on a hot day, too.
     

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