Soft Shell Egg is Interesting

[Three Stents]

2 of my 4 hens/pullets are starting to lay their eggs. The Leghorns eggs are all fine except on the small side. This morning I found an egg under the poop shelf on the bedding with the soft shell. Not sure which one layed it. Guess it's time to get rid of the "Start and Grow", having layer feed available and focus on ensuring there is calcium in the run. There are oyster shells, but I'm thinkin the pieces are too big. I did toss some crushed up egg shells to get the ball going. Guess I'll open up the egg, cook it and feed to my dog. What say you?

 

[MysteryChicken]

2 of my 4 hens/pullets are starting to lay their eggs. The Leghorns eggs are all fine except on the small side. This morning I found an egg under the poop shelf on the bedding with the soft shell. Not sure which one layed it. Guess it's time to get rid of the "Start and Grow", having layer feed available and focus on ensuring there is calcium in the run. There are oyster shells, but I'm thinkin the pieces are too big. I did toss some crushed up egg shells to get the ball going. Guess I'll open up the egg, cook it and feed to my dog. What say you?

You can actually keep them on that feed, but just supply oyster shells on the side in a separate feeder. It won't hurt.

I eat odd eggs. If they're busted/leaking, I feed back to the chickens raw.

 

[Three Stents]

You can actually keep them on that feed, but just supply oyster shells on the side in a separate feeder. It won't hurt.

I eat odd eggs. If they're busted/leaking, I feed back to the chickens raw.

I don't think they are eating the oyster shells. Think I'll go dump them into a bag, take a hammer to them, as the shell pieces look too big..

 

[Ridgerunner]

When they start laying it is not unusual to get an oops egg. The internal egg making process is pretty complicated, it may take them a few days to get it right. Most get it right to start with but it is not that unusual to see a soft shelled or no shelled egg, double yolker, really hard shelled egg, no yolk, no white, two eggs in one day, or a somehow unusual egg. You can get one of those later too, even after they have been laying for months, but they are more common when they first start or with very old hens.

If you are still seeing her lay a soft shelled egg in another two weeks, get back with us and we can discuss it. There may actually be something wrong.

How are the other eggshells? If they are firm and thick enough they are obviously getting enough calcium from somewhere. It does not have to come from oyster shell. If they are finding enough calcium from another source the oyster shell may last a really long time. I don't remember how you house and manage your chickens but calcium can come from different sources. A common one is from the pebbles in your soil if you naturally have limestone in the mix. I grew up on a farm in limestone country. We never fed the chickens oyster shell or any other calcium supplement. They got all they needed from the soil. Even the eggshells were fed to the pigs to supply them with calcium so the chickens did not get those.

I personally would not change anything about the oyster shell as long as the other eggshells they are laying are OK. If you crush them further I'm not sure how well they will eat them if they do need them.

Good luck!

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with Ridgerunner. We tend to expect perfect eggs, because when we buy eggs they are always perfect. But they are highly sorted.

It tends to take a week if you treat it, and 7 days if you don't. I would expect this issue to clear up on its own.

Mrs K

 

[BigBlueHen53]

It's really hard to tell if the chickens are eating the oyster shell (OS), they take it in such tiny amounts that our eyes cannot discern. It does not take much OS to make an egg shell. It is not like feed that you can see the levels drop from day to day. Just keep it available, they will take what they need as they need it.

 

[Three Stents]

It was a PITA to break up the oyster shells with a hammer, so I went to TSC. to talk to the "chicken lady" She said she puts some of the shells in a bowl of water and just lets the hens drink the water as they want to. I'm thinkin that this is also going to be a PITA. The shells I have were purchased from Kahoots and their shells seem to be larger than the shells at TSC. Thinkin about trying out the brand (Dumor) from TSC. What say you?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The problem nay have more to do with how your chicken is absorbing the calcium than the calcium, or oyster shell, itself. She may actually need more Vit D which helps with the absorption of calcium. Try this if you know which bird laid the thin-shelled egg. Give her a tablet of calcium citrate +Vit D, every night for a week. Just pop it in her beak, she can swallow it. You can find it at any store that sells vitamins or supplements. Often fixes the problem.

 

[Three Stents]

The problem nay have more to do with how your chicken is absorbing the calcium than the calcium, or oyster shell, itself. She may actually need more Vit D which helps with the absorption of calcium. Try this if you know which bird laid the thin-shelled egg. Give her a tablet of calcium citrate +Vit D, every night for a week. Just pop it in her beak, she can swallow it. You can find it at any store that sells vitamins or supplements. Often fixes the problem.

I'll keep that in mind if it happens again,,,,of course I have no idea which one