Thin egg shells

[Bubbe]

Is there something that I can do to help make the egg shells harder? I've smashed several while trying to get them out of the nesting boxes. They're not soft, just not real thick.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Oyster shell on the side. And I had luck with adding rooster booster vitamins containing vitamin D.

 

[aart]

Is there something that I can do to help make the egg shells harder? I've smashed several while trying to get them out of the nesting boxes. They're not soft, just not real thick.

How old are your birds?
What and how exactly are you feeding?
Are you in the northern hemisphere?

 

[QChickieMama]

I have a layer who lays eggs like this, too. Often, she breaks the egg getting out of the nest so I'll find remnants of shell. Mine is about a year old, a lavender orpington. I offer oyster shell & grit to supplement a feed-store-ground grain mix for layers. Suggestions?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I do better with calcite grit than oyster shell. The hens seem to absorb that better.

I second vitamin D supplements if you are northern hemisphere (or in rainy place like my Oregon).

Then just checking your feed content to make sure the calcium intake is good in that as I find the layer feed much better absorbed than all feed with calcite or oyster shell.

Calcium should be a minimum of 3.2% to 3.5%. Below is an article from Australia that puts older layers at 4.75%
http://www.poultryhub.org/nutrition...nutrient-requirements-of-egg-laying-chickens/

Then, after feed, it can simply be age. Some of the high production layers simply give out in their shell glands after the first molt, so that by the time of their second molt (about 2 1/2 years) their eggs are very thin.

LofMc

 

[Bubbe]

How old are your birds?
What and how exactly are you feeding?
Are you in the northern hemisphere?

The birds are a couple of years old. They get chicken crumbles, hard boiled eggs a few times a week, and other leftovers from our meals. I live in the Missouri area.

 

[aart]

The birds are a couple of years old. They get chicken crumbles, hard boiled eggs a few times a week, and other leftovers from our meals. I live in the Missouri area.

She may be slowing down production to prepare for molting.....can get some funky egg at this time.

What kind of 'chicken crumbles'....protein and calcium percentages.

 

[lazy gardener]

What breed? It would seem that age is the primary factor here. This is why many of us rotate our flocks, bringing in a few new ones and removing a few old ones each year. I remove my older birds while they can still be reasonably expected to produce for an other season. I sell off my older birds to make room for the new. While I could eat them, IMO, their value is still higher as egg producers than it is as a crock pot meal. Many of us also choose not to put the hybrid production layers in our flocks simply b/c they tend to burn out faster. I produce my own sex links, but they are not at all like the production sex links sold by the hatcheries. My sex links are great layers, possess hybrid vigor, have small walnut or pea combs, and produce a colorful egg basket: green, aqua, olive and varied shades of tan or brown.

 

[Bubbe]

She may be slowing down production to prepare for molting.....can get some funky egg at this time.

What kind of 'chicken crumbles'....protein and calcium percentages.

I just checked the bag. We are now feeding them Home Grown Layer 17% protein, 4% calcium. I do supplement with the hard boiled eggs with the shells, to help with the protein & calcium.