Soft shell, but there's oyster shell mixed into feed-help?

[tweetzone86]

So...for those that have been following, I found a soft shell egg this morning. So I don't have an egg-eater (YAY!) but I have a soft shell layer.

It's very baffling as to WHY though? My chickens were 1 year old on May 8th, and I've NEVER dealt with soft shells before. They've always been as hard as a rock. So...

I use Purina Flock Raiser for the extra protein. This doesn't have much calcium in it, so I mix in oyster shell directly into the feed (I can get a free choice feed bin, but we're in the middle of moving to our acreage (living in rv while we build) so I still don't know where everything is.

So if it's mixed into the feed itself, why on earth would her shell still be paper thin? Wouldn't a shell gland defect have made itself known right from the start? As I said, they've been hard as a rock-until we moved them to their new coop...

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hiccups happen... and lots of things develop later in life. So no a defective shell gland might not have presented early on.

One soft shell egg is not a crisis or anything to worry about. If it continues to happen, then I would worry.

I also use the Purina FR and put my OS on the side free choice. Do you think you are adding enough?

It could also be a side effect of the stress of moving to the new coop.

I would just make sure there is plenty of OS available and keep a watch to make sure no one shows signs of egg binding. In an urgent case, tums can be used for the calcium... but it is most often used to support the muscles for expelling the egg not to harden the shell.

Glad to hear there is no egg eater on your hands!

How challenging to RV it while ya build... and exciting!

 

[Peppercorngal]

I also have a chicken that lays "soft" shelled eggs. I have 28 layers and they like two or three nest boxes more than the others. Frequently the weight of the hens break and egg. I don't know whose it is, and they have good feed and plenty of oyster shell free choice that I see them eating! I can't figure it out either, but it is irritating! My hens don't eat the broken egg either.

 

[Folly's place]

Oyster shell should NOT be mixed into the main feed, but offered separately. Always.
Your soft shelled egg may be a temporary issue, or the sign that one of your birds has a reproductive problem. It may be temporary, due to stress, or not.
Mary

 

[tweetzone86]

Hiccups happen... and lots of things develop later in life. So no a defective shell gland might not have presented early on.

One soft shell egg is not a crisis or anything to worry about. If it continues to happen, then I would worry.

I also use the Purina FR and put my OS on the side free choice. Do you think you are adding enough?

It could also be a side effect of the stress of moving to the new coop.

I would just make sure there is plenty of OS available and keep a watch to make sure no one shows signs of egg binding. In an urgent case, tums can be used for the calcium... but it is most often used to support the muscles for expelling the egg not to harden the shell.

Glad to hear there is no egg eater on your hands!

How challenging to RV it while ya build... and exciting!

I'm hoping it's the stress side effect. It started happening right before we moved the chickens so it's been going on for a week or so?

 

[PetitePlume]

For what I have read, stress and diet if we don't talk about "health" issue.
Free ranging means more green, less feed.
Also if you guve them compost, anything from the citrus family would prevent the calcium absortion...
I don't know how true this is. Trying to figure it out myself. They free range most of the day, and I have been losing a few eggs a week ( my daughter are also part of the equation, 3 and 5 years old, lets say if the shell was there but soft, this egg won't make it to the house safely...)
Good luck and let me know if you find the magic answer!

 

[AquaDuck]

Phytic acid found in whole grains can interfere with calcium absorption. Soaking the feed for a day will reduce the level of phytic acid. You can take it a step further by fermenting the feed as well.

 

[aart]

One bird laying softies is not a diet issue but a bird issue.
Some birds just do not assimilate nutrients as well as others.
Or they could have defective shelling gland, no it doesn't always present from the start.

So if it's mixed into the feed itself, why on earth would her shell still be paper thin? Wouldn't a shell gland defect have made itself known right from the start? As I said, they've been hard as a rock-until we moved them to their new coop..

It could just be stress then.
Give it some time.

Agrees that OS shouldn't be mixed into the feed.
Sprinkling some on top might be OK in the short run...
...or just sprinkle some around on the ground.
Some birds don't know to eat it.

 

[tweetzone86]

Oyster shell should NOT be mixed into the main feed, but offered separately. Always.
Your soft shelled egg may be a temporary issue, or the sign that one of your birds has a reproductive problem. It may be temporary, due to stress, or not.
Mary

I mixed it because they don't seem to show much interest in it when I toss some in there. But I will be getting a separate dish for oyster shell specifically. Is it going to be ok outside (ie can it get wet?) because there's not a great place to keep it inside.

 

[tweetzone86]

For what I have read, stress and diet if we don't talk about "health" issue.
Free ranging means more green, less feed.
Also if you guve them compost, anything from the citrus family would prevent the calcium absortion...
I don't know how true this is. Trying to figure it out myself. They free range most of the day, and I have been losing a few eggs a week ( my daughter are also part of the equation, 3 and 5 years old, lets say if the shell was there but soft, this egg won't make it to the house safely...)
Good luck and let me know if you find the magic answer!

That's fair. I am not rejecting the health issue completely. I know one bird has been getting picked on and has lost a few feathers. But I am not sure who the soft shell layer is-haven't caught her in the act and I have 10 RIRs so all the eggs are pretty similar in color. I may pick up some food coloring to see if I can pinpoint it, but the only reason I discovered it is she laid it on top of the nest boxes yesterday an it was still intact (rubbermaid bins).

Previously she laid in the nest boxes, and the only signs I had were egg yolk all over other eggs (by the way, on that point are those eggs safe to eat or do I need to throw them away?), hence why I thought I had an egg eater. So the dye is only going to work if she doesn't lay in the nest boxes again.

BUT-could the dye still stay on her vent even if she does? So I can figure out which one it is and isolate her?