My 7 mth old Light Brahmas have been laying nice medium to large eggs for a few weeks now. Yesterday Hubby went to collect the eggs and came in with one that had a very soft, almost translucent, shell. Why did this happen and is the egg still good to eat? Coincidentally, our bronze turkey hen laid an egg with the same problem on the same day! Any thoughts or advice is welcome!
My very first egg was a soft shell egg, and I know that's common. Maybe there was a calcium problem? I've heard people say that every once in a while they'll get an egg with a shell problem, but I don't know first hand.
Keep an eye on the eggs if your chickens were older ot would mean they are at the end of their laying years. but since they are so young. make sure their diet has enough calcium and fresh greens
Odd things happen when chickens first start laying: very small eggs, softshell, irregular shells, all sorts of stuff. Hopefully time will resolve the problem. If you continue to have problems from the same hen, maybe this will help: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/1/egg-quality-handbook/14/hairline-cracks
If they're on formulated layer feed w/calcium or have access to shell, it's probably just a glitch. Usually it's a new layer issue, but sometimes even experienced birds' systems have a hiccup. I wouldn't worry unless it becomes a habit. I cook and feed those back to the birds.
I bought two hens and had them in quarantine. One of the hens laid the thinnest shelled eggs....so thin that your finger would go through them when you picked them up. I started giving her gamebird feed because it has more calcium. I also took them treats with extra calcium. Finally her shells got thicker. I don't know what she was eating before. She had been heavily bred by a rooster and must have been at the bottom of the pecking order also. (now that they are in their new coop with the rooster and three pullets she sleeps on the floor and does not try and roost) Some of it may have been the stress of moving too. But her eggs continue to get better. I just try and make sure all treats have value for the chickens. Either to improve feathers or add calcium.
Does anyone feed their laying hens crushed egg shells for calcium? Hubby's Dad/Grandmother always crushed the eggshells to feed to the chickens, says it gives them the calcium for hard eggshells.
Oh yeah, I've done it before. Guess I'm lazy...it's just easier to buy oyster shell to keep in a jar in the coop and pour a little dish out now and then. But I've crushed up egg shells too. Some folks get fancy and actually "fry" the shells in butter or leftover fats/oils..kind of crisp them up a bit.
I save up all of the old eggshells and run them through a food processor. I then sprinkle it in with their feed. If nothing else my girls have extremely hard egg shells.
