Soft shell eggs?

[TippleTenny]

Our chickens just started laying (like we've gotten 6 eggs in the past week from our flock of 8) but this morning I went to check on them and we had two eggs. Both were just about see thru they were so thin and they were both busted...

Also a side question, our chickens are semi free range so they roost were ever but mostly ontop of their coop, they lay on the top of the coop the eggs rolls and busts on the ground... Is there any way to make them not do that??

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Soft eggs can happen once in a while, especially early on while their bodies figure the kinks out. Do you offer oyster shell on the side? Might not be a bad idea if you don't already.

Is there something you could rig up to keep them off the roof? In the meantime try to keep them in a few days and see if they'll lay in the box where they're supposed to. Do you have enough boxes for the chickens?

 

[TippleTenny]

It's so hot right now I feel bad keeping them in the coop. Like upper 90s+. I can try I suppose.

We don't give them oyster shell, I'll pick some up. Thanks!

 

[TippleTenny]

I have 3 boxes... ^^

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Ok, this makes a little more sense. In that case without lots of ventilation I would stay away from locking them up.

New suggestion. Could you place a makeshift nest box outside? I know its not ideal, but maybe they'd at least try laying in there instead of on the roof. Even a five gallon bucket tipped over could work.

 

[DaveOmak]

Grit, egg shells (baked) and oyster shells...



Try placing golf balls or fake eggs in the nest boxes along with straw or some bedding material...

 

[DaveOmak]

Here is more info..... the search bar is a great tool.... adding your location, in your profile, will help in the future to answer certain questions..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/659529/how-do-i-get-my-hens-to-lay-eggs-in-the-nesting-boxes

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/679032/how-do-i-get-my-chickens-to-use-their-nest-boxes

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/264820/how-to-get-hens-to-lay-eggs-in-nesting-boxes

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/913585/how-do-you-get-hens-to-lay-eggs-in-the-nesting-boxes

 

[pfields]

Found this soft shell this morning on the poop board. I wish I knew which hen was laying these. I've found four so far in the last 3 weeks. This is the first one that was attached to another.

 

[sandesnow]

Anytime I ever find a soft shell egg, I take oyster shell and grind it into a powder. I take one piece of bread (I have 5 hens) and cut it into 6 pieces. I dip the bread into milk until nearly soggy then dip it into the powdered shell and feed by hand to each hen. Always fixes the issue.

They do have oyster shell readily available to them, but I feed the pellets, so they don't eat the shell unless I toss it out onto the ground as if I am giving them treats! So they are kinda picky. This week I have gone back to laying crumbles just for ease of getting the calcium into their diet more regularly. It is just easier, even though I think there might be a bit more waste. Pellets are nice because there is like no waste at all, but.. meh, my hens do pretty well when it comes to waste on the ground. My little hoovers. lol