Soft shell eggs

[luvmy33chicks]

I recently started giving my hens food grade DE in their feed.
Have noticed soft/shell less eggs the past 3 days.
They get a complete egg laying pellet, scraps, free range and dry cat food for protein daily.
Was'nt having any problems with eggs until I added the DE
Any advice would be appreciated
thanks

 

[Czech's_chicks]

In my eggsperience, this is a normal every once in a while thing, along with what I call egg farts (super tiny eggs smaller than quail eggs). If you are getting more than one soft shell from the same hen, there may be something wrong with her internally that is preventing her from depositing the calcium shell.

 

[luvmy33chicks]

thank you
i am new here and just figured out how to find your reply
the soft shells stopped and my girls started laying more eggs a day now
many are young also and new layers
thanks again

 

[JodyJo]

you said you give cat food daily? I found this on the BYC treat chart...you may want to reconsider how much you feed...


"You all know how I feel on cat food and I have posted the links and reasoning behind my objections several times ...it can potentially be detrimental to your birds health and even deadly in the right circumstances and for this reason I feel it should be left off the chart (as when you put it on it is as if you are condoning its use) I will repost here one of the sources for my objection:
http://www.omri.org/Amino_acids_livestock.html
..."While it is nutritionally essential, methionine excesses are far more toxic to poultry than similar excesses of tryptophan, lysine, and threonine (National Research Council, 1994). Force feeding methionine to excess can result in death to chicks (National Research Council, 1994). A dosage of 2 g / mature cat / day (20 to 30 g / kg dry diet) for 20 days induces anorexia, ataxia, cyanosis, methemoglobinemia and Heinz body formation resulting in hemolytic anemia (Maede, 1985). ..."