Thin shelled eggs

[Darcey7]

I have 3 Buff Orpington hens. They are 1 &1/2 years old. They have eaten the same chicken food all their life except a month I switched to an organic feed. They are free ranging chickens and they go all over the pastures. They eat Nature Wise laying pellets. They have continuous access to oyster shell scratch. They have always had VERY hard shells. Now their shells can not bear their weight when they go in to lay an egg. There are no chemicals on my farm. I garden organically. I did till in composted pony manure in the garden and they go in there whenever they want. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[conquest780]

Is it acting weird? I think it is sick. Try to follow it and see if it is eating. Other than that I have no other explanation. Wait and see if the shells harden in some time.

 

[Judy]

If I were you I would switch back to my old feed.

 

[Darcey7]

I switched back to the old feed 3 months ago. The hens are acting perfectly normal and all have good appetites.

 

[conquest780]

That is weird. Look if they are eating the oyster shell scratch. I have 24 chickens and all lay perfect eggs even though I never have given them any sort of calcium supplement. Well there is one thing and that is that i have always got 100% hatch rates from them.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have had spells where I will get some soft shells, paper thin shells. I think it is just a fluke of their system. People always think it is diet, but I think it is just a random thing, and very probably the hard shells will come back.

Mrs K

 

[conquest780]

Mrs.K is correct. Wait and see the eggs will harden.

 

[Darcey7]

Yes, I just added the scratch when their egg shells started thinning. They are eating it.

 

[conquest780]

Wait and see. The shells might harden in a period of time.

 

[DMRippy]

Yes, I just added the scratch when their egg shells started thinning. They are eating it.

stop feeding them scratch. they don't need it and will eat more scratch than feed. it is like candy to chickens.