Soft Shell Eggs

[Craig Cowan]

Morning Everyone,
One of my Buff Orpingtons is about 35 weeks old.
every egg she has laid has been soft shell, most breaking upon landing. I have oyster shell on the side, which she never touch’s.
She appears healthy, eats & drinks regularly.
Last week, I tried scrambled eggs with egg shells crush & mixed in, she ate very little of it.
Any ideas on how to get more calcium in her ?
Thanks in advance.
Craig

 

[Offshoreorca]

When did she start laying? What food do you have her on? Are the oyster shells flakes?

 

[Craig Cowan]

Started laying 6 weeks ago.
on 16% layer feed.
Have not seen or knew about Oyster “ Flakes”?

 

[Eggcessive]

She might have a problem with her shell gland in the oviduct which prevents her from laying hard shells. Injury or stress could be other causes. One of my best layers was hurt by a dog, and she stopped laying for several months. Later when she laid again, she never laid a hard shell egg. Her eggs were shell-less or so thin shelled that they were easily broken, making a mess of the nest boxes.

You could try giving her half of a Caltrate tablet (calcium with vitamin D3) for a week, just to see if it makes a difference. If your others are all laying eggs with hard shells, it may just be something wrong with her.

Infectious bronchitis is a fairly common virus in chickens, causing sneezing for about a month, but some may have a mild case. It can cause egg shell problems and other reproductive disorders for life.

https://149353356.v2.pressablecdn.c...2018/08/labeled_female_reproductive_tract.jpg

 

[CheerioTheBuffRooster]

You could mix the oyster shells in her food, or you could put some in the waterer so the calcium from them mixes with the water and you know she'll drink it.
Soluble grit is essential to a chicken's diet, it has oyster shells and other things in it to help with digestion. You could even crush some eggshells and mix them in with her food as well.