Thin egg shells (NOT soft shell)

[azygous]

If given for months, concentrated calcium is hard on the kidneys and can cause kidney stones. But a few days or weeks it is perfectly safe.

 

[picklestheduck]

I have a hen with the same issue actually, I just don’t know who it is. She lays it off the roosting bar almost every night.

 

[Chinachik]

I am having the same issue with one of my almost year old pullet. She has always had a funny way of laying. First egg was off the high roost and busted. I have been finding squishy eggs in the coop. I have 4 pullets that started laying the last of February. So I’m not sure that the soft eggs are all hers. She is also my alpha chicken. She had blood on her head three days ago. Brought her in and washed it off as best as we could sprayed Vetericyn on it and put her back in the coop. Next day noticed a little more new blood still couldn’t find a place on her head. Yesterday I noticed a dark spot on her comb. Not bad but a pretty good peck. Could this be causing her to lay thinner shelled eggs? She loves corn and will knock the others down to get it. I only give them a cup of scratch each evening and a little mixed with their feed and about 1/3 cup mixed with their layer and breakfast mash. Most days they get to free range about an hour or so before bedtime. They get the cup of scratch before they go to roost. Flock total is 8. There is also oyster shell on the side at all times. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Definitely don’t want an egg bound hen

 

[NatJ]

I have a hen with the same issue actually, I just don’t know who it is. She lays it off the roosting bar almost every night.

Can you go out with a flashlight, and see who is roosting above the egg? That may not tell exactly which chicken, but would hopefully narrow it down. Checking for several nights in a row might let you figure out exactly who, if they sleep in different positions on different nights. So each night, you can rule out each bird that is not over the egg, and eventually you're left with just one option.

 

[aart]

She loves corn and will knock the others down to get it. I only give them a cup of scratch each evening and a little mixed with their feed and about 1/3 cup mixed with their layer and breakfast mash.

Cut out all but the layer feed for a couple weeks, see if that helps.

 

[azygous]

Re post #13 @Chinachik as others just mentioned, the scratch grain and corn you are feeding may not seem excessive to you as portion size, but it's very heavy on the carbs for laying hens.

The excess calories are converted to fat, and that can interfere with egg laying, and it can also cause fatty liver which affects the entire body.

Check this hen and also the others for fat in the caboose. You would probably notice first a poopy vent and butt feathers due to the poop getting hung up on this fatty "shelf".

@aart had a stellar suggestion, refraining from feeding treats for at least two weeks. I would suggest a month to get them out of the habit of expecting it. For an example of how much grain the rest of us feed, I toss maybe one cup full once a week for twenty chickens.

 

[Chinachik]

Thank you all for your answers. I will cut back on the treats. Right now they are free ranging. Would it be ok to still give them wet feed for in the morning? I wish there was a guide for scratch amounts and treats per chicken you own. Maybe they won’t eat me if I only give them feed and free range

 

[aart]

Would it be ok to still give them wet feed for in the morning?

As long as it's just the layer feed, yes.

I wish there was a guide for scratch amounts and treats per chicken you own.

Common advice is 10% of volume of the feed they consume each day, but that can be hard to measure accurately and in this case I'd cut all 'treats' out for a couple-few weeks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you all for your answers. I will cut back on the treats. Right now they are free ranging. Would it be ok to still give them wet feed for in the morning? I wish there was a guide for scratch amounts and treats per chicken you own. Maybe they won’t eat me if I only give them feed and free range

Wet feed and dry feed are all fine. I even toss out dry feed as a treat in lieu of scratch and the birds don't really care.

General guideline is treats should be no more than 10% of food intake.

 

[azygous]

Simple. Two teaspoons of scratch grain or corn per chicken per week. Less is better.