Soft eggs

[Bonnieboo]

Hi Silkie fluff butt,
My Australorp has a problem with her egg shell gland. I give her a human calcium tablet every second day. It helps create a shell but they are still very thin. However, I haven't had a soft egg for weeks. Twice she has laid, and the next hen to go into the nest, steps on the egg and it breaks. The secret is to grab the egg before the next layer goes in

 

[BDutch]

I have a 4 yr old Astralorp with the same problem. She lays once a week and all have shells, but break before I can get to them. She is with a bantam Silkie who no longer lays. When I put out calcium, they won't touch it. Is there some herb that will stop her from laying? What is the hormone, what is the cost and how long does it last? They are on layer feed. Should I change to something for non layers? I didn't know there was such a thing.

This advice is all from reading/from others:

Better not give layer feed to chickens that don’t lay. It has too much calcium and is not good for the kidneys. All flock or layer mixed with chick feed and oyster shell on the side for the hens that lay is better.

Sometimes it helps to give a hen with soft shell a calcium boost. Normal sized hens, 7-14 days a pill a day. The eggs should get back to normal within 2 weeks. You cant go on much longer bc too much calcium can cause problems too.

It is possible to give a hen that lays risky eggs , a hormone implant to stop her from laying. It needs to be inserted by a vet. It’s expensive and last just 4-6 months.
People here on BYC have done this. @MaryJanet , @ManueB . Maybe they can add more info/give advice?

 

[MaryJanet]

This advice is all from reading/from others:

Better not give layer feed to chickens that don’t lay. It has too much calcium and is not good for the kidneys. All flock or layer mixed with chick feed and oyster shell on the side for the hens that lay is better.

Sometimes it helps to give a hen with soft shell a calcium boost. Normal sized hens, 7-14 days a pill a day. The eggs should get back to normal within 2 weeks. You cant go on much longer bc too much calcium can cause problems too.

It is possible to give a hen that lays risky eggs , a hormone implant to stop her from laying. It needs to be inserted by a vet. It’s expensive and last just 4-6 months.
People here on BYC have done this. @MaryJanet , @ManueB . Maybe they can add more info/give advice?

Mary is an Australorp who lives at my place in Australia. She's an older hen, going on 8, and laid a soft shelled egg late last year and then went broody. She's a sweetheart and I worry about her, so I took her to the vet, expecting to be told she was fine and not to worry, but the vet strongly advised an implant.

I realised it was Mary's last chance for chicks, so I got her some eggs. That didn't go well, so I got her some chicks to adopt. That also didn't go well.

So she had her implant. At the same time, she started having breathing problems which have been relieved by a course of intramuscular antibiotics but haven't gone away. I mention her breathing because it's probably a factor in her new lazy lifestyle.

Mary doesn't have the same energy she used to have. She eats less, poops less, sits more. Is this due to ageing, the implant, or her breathing? It's all three.

One thing I can say for sure is that I'm delighted I don't have to worry about her reproductive health for the time being.

Hope this anecdote is helpful. Best of luck with your hens.

 

[Silkie fluff butts]

This advice is all from reading/from others:

Better not give layer feed to chickens that don’t lay. It has too much calcium and is not good for the kidneys. All flock or layer mixed with chick feed and oyster shell on the side for the hens that lay is better.

Sometimes it helps to give a hen with soft shell a calcium boost. Normal sized hens, 7-14 days a pill a day. The eggs should get back to normal within 2 weeks. You cant go on much longer bc too much calcium can cause problems too.

It is possible to give a hen that lays risky eggs , a hormone implant to stop her from laying. It needs to be inserted by a vet. It’s expensive and last just 4-6 months.
People here on BYC have done this. @MaryJanet , @ManueB . Maybe they can add more info/give advice?

 

[Silkie fluff butts]

Thanks for your advice!