Soft shell eggs.

[Pattyy]

Good morning. Wondering why one of my hens is laying soft eggs. I have just noticed one of the chickens have worms. Am taking care of that. But they are mostly free range chickens

 

[RPClark]

My birds get oyster shell as a free-choice calcium supplement in the coop. They all free range when we're home, but put themselves away at dusk, so they know where their regular food and water source is, and we go through about a cup of oyster shell every week.

We provide 16% layer feed, but consumption of that depends on how long they're allowed to range. We only range when we're home, so that usually means after work during the week and all day on weekends.

We have the odd shell-less egg every now and then; perhaps about 6 to this point since this flock started laying in December. I'm not overly concerned about it.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Internal parasites can definitely contribute to thin shelled eggs as can other health issues. Especially if they are not eating well, they aren't getting the proper nutrients required to break the calcium down in the body and be used for a hard shell.

Always keep oystershell available near to their water station where they can find it. Definitely treat the worm issues and you might add some human Caltrate to this particular birds diet. Some birds do have a hard time putting on a shell. I have one that I give Caltrate to several times a week. I crack a pill in half and with a motar and pestle, I grind up the pill to powder. I put this into about 1 ml of Gerber baby food and load this into an empty syringe and squirt this under the tongue. This helps her put a shell on her eggs. For the first couple weeks, you may need to do this once a day. You can back down as the shell starts to develop calcium bumps.

Good luck!

 

[Pattyy]

Hello there and welcome to BYC! 

Internal parasites can definitely contribute to thin shelled eggs as can other health issues. Especially if they are not eating well, they aren't getting the proper nutrients required to break the calcium down in the body and be used for a hard shell.

Always keep oystershell available near to their water station where they can find it. Definitely treat the worm issues and you might add some human Caltrate to this particular birds diet. Some birds do have a hard time putting on a shell. I have one that I give Caltrate to several times a week. I crack a pill in half and with a motar and pestle, I grind up the pill to powder. I put this into about 1 ml of Gerber baby food and load this into an empty syringe and squirt this under the tongue. This helps her put a shell on her eggs. For the first couple weeks, you may need to do this once a day. You can back down as the shell starts to develop calcium bumps.

Good luck! 

I have been using diatomageous earth for worming

 

[Pattyy]

I have been using diatomageous earth for worming

 

[Pattyy]

I but the ostery shells in their food. I'm just puzzled about this I was letting them free range but have them up now do to the worms. I have goats dogs and horses.I am new with the chickens. They are feed all the time. They have a feeder.which is filled when it gets low.

 

[TwoCrows]

I have been using diatomageous earth for worming

There is great controversy on whether or not DE works as a wormer. I personally dont think it works, and I prefer to use Safeguard Luquid Goat Wormer on my birds. It kills nearly every worm in their system and isnt too harsh on them.

 

[Pattyy]

My birds get oyster shell as a free-choice calcium supplement in the coop.  They all free range when we're home, but put themselves away at dusk, so they know where their regular food and water source is, and we go through about a cup of oyster shell every week.

We provide 16% layer feed, but consumption of that depends on how long they're allowed to range.  We only range when we're home, so that usually means after work during the week and all day on weekends.

We have the odd shell-less egg every now and then; perhaps about 6 to this point since this flock started laying in December.  I'm not overly concerned about it. 

 

[Pattyy]

There is great controversy on whether or not DE works as a wormer. I personally dont think it works, and I prefer to use Safeguard Luquid Goat Wormer on my birds. It kills nearly every worm in their system and isnt too harsh on them.

 

[Pattyy]

I didn't know you can use that. I'm new to this