Soft Large deformed shells

[harmonylanefarm]

I have been having problems with my chickens eating their eggs. I put golf balls in the nest boxes this morning and went out early to collect the first eggs as they were laid to try to identify the culprit. What I discovered was a deformed egg with a very thin shell. I have included a photograph. No wonder they are eating the eggs. The birds are receiving a balanced feed and Oyster Shells to provide a calcium supplement. Wondering what else might be done and if this is a reproductive issue.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Here’s what the egg quality handbook has to say about shell-less eggs.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publi...ndbook/16/thinshelled-eggs-and-shellless-eggs

If it is only one hen doing it, it is an individual hen problem. That means there is something wrong with her, not your management practices and not the other hens. If it is a flock-wide problem, it is probably your management or a disease. It sounds like your management is fine and that it is an individual hen problem.

That can occasionally happen with a normal hen. Something happens to disrupt the normal laying procedure. But if it is repeated, it is a real problem with the hen.

It’s not unusual for a hen to eat a broken egg. That’s not an egg eater. It’s when a chicken learns to open the egg to eat it that you have a problem. They can learn to become an egg eater if eggs get accidentally opened. I don’t know if you have an actual egg eater that has learned to open an egg or if they are just taking advantage of the opportunity.

There are different ways to handle it if you have chickens opening good eggs. I had one once and I ate her. That’s not an option for some people. There are various methods to retrain one floating around this forum but I haven’t tried those so won’t comment if they work or not. You can look up roll-away nests. These are nests where the eggs roll back to a safe place where the hens can’t get to them. Here’s a thread on that.

Opa’s Rollaway Nest Box
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=287684

Good luck. You’ve got some challenges ahead of you I’m sorry to say.

 

[harmonylanefarm]

Thanks for the reply. The problem is not common to the flock so I will be identifying the birds with this malady over the next several days. I looked at the plans for thee roll a way nesting boxes and may give this a try as well.