Very thin/unformed egg shells

[tomumberger]

Hello everyone, I have a Barred Rock (about 18 months old) that has been laying eggs with paper-thin shells for a while. More recently, the shells are not formed at all. I just find remains of a rubbery shell and contents in the coop. She free ranges, and I have been giving her oyster shell for a couple weeks, with no improvement. Please let me know if you think she needs more time for calcium to start helping the eggs, or if there is maybe another cause.

Thanks!

 

[featheredplanets]

my first thoughts would be insufficient protein and calcium, and stress. is she being bullied at all? low in the pecking order? oyster shell should be available at all times and feed should be aiming for 18% protein

 

[Sparrowsong98]

Sorry, I cannot help, but here is a tip: "a while" can mean just about any length of time umder the sun. If you give exact time frames like "a week" or "2 months" it can help people figure out what is wrong.

 

[tomumberger]

Thanks, she is actually at the top of the pecking order. Thin shells have been happening 3 or 4 months. Unformed shells, the last 3 weeks. The other reliable layer (an Ameraucana) has very hard shells, and is on the exact same diet.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello everyone, I have a Barred Rock (about 18 months old) that has been laying eggs with paper-thin shells for a while. More recently, the shells are not formed at all. I just find remains of a rubbery shell and contents in the coop. She free ranges, and I have been giving her oyster shell for a couple weeks, with no improvement. Please let me know if you think she needs more time for calcium to start helping the eggs, or if there is maybe another cause.
Thanks!

Do you have any photos of the egg and the remains of the rubbery shells?
Has she ever had a respiratory illness?

At 18mos she may be beginning to have some reproductive problems, but it would be good to get a fecal float to rule out parasites.

You can give her some extra calcium (1/2tablet Caltrate) for no more than 2weeks to see if there is improvement.

 

[tomumberger]

Here is a photo of an egg from today. She has never had a respiratory illness that I am aware of. I treated all my hens for worms (with Valbazen) in January. This was just a routine preventive treatment, and no actual evidence of parasites. Other than the egg situation, she seems healthy: good comb color, good appetite, very active.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Here is a photo of an egg from today. She has never had a respiratory illness that I am aware of. I treated all my hens for worms (with Valbazen) in January. This was just a routine preventive treatment, and no actual evidence of parasites. Other than the egg situation, she seems healthy: good comb color, good appetite, very active.

I would just increase her calcium as posted previously. Poultry vitamins once a week may also give her a boost.
Sadly, with laying hens, having soft shell eggs or having something go wrong with their reproductive system is common. If she is eating/drinking, active and seems happy within herself, then I would just keep an eye on her.
https://hencam.com/henblog/2015/08/a-laying-glitch/

 

[tomumberger]

Thanks! I started adding vitamins to her water last week. I will keep up the calcium and vitamins, and see how she does.

 

[GumBranchChick]

Okay this is crazy! I have a barred rock that’s about 18 months old who has been having thin shelled eggs for at least the last few months. Started eating them & it’s become a vicious cycle. My Americauna is the same age & on the same diet & her eggs are always very strong. The barred rock’s eggs used to be very strong as well. Several months ago, my rooster started being too rough on my girls & I had to separate them bc they would Not wear a hen saddle. But I don’t think it’s stressful bc they can see each other & talk to each other. I regularly (2-5 times a week, when I have time/remember) give them Greek yogurt with cayenne pepper, vitamin/electrolyte powder, cinnamon, & oregano. Got in the habit when the rooster had put a big wound in the americauna & we were trying to expedite healing without meds bc she reacted poorly to antibiotics. I have fecals done regularly & the most recent one, done after this started, was the first time its ever been negative. They had always had layer crumbles with scratch & plenty of treats, & ad libidum oyster shells, plus free ranging (until I had to start dividing free range time between them & the rooster). When I got ducks in September, I switched everyone to pellets. But the girls still get layer pellets. Should I switch back to crumbles? I’ve recently started mixing their crumbled shells & oyster shell in with their yogurt, but haven’t noticed any improvement. For about a month, we’ve had a different nest box where the eggs roll down under a cover, but they still get broken & eaten somehow!! Switched back to original nest box last night & this morning I found a rubber egg in the yard, which is very unusual. I lost a hen last summer to a busted rubber egg that led to a big infection. The vet flushed her out & fixed her up & she was improving with antibiotics, until she tried to lay again & she didn’t survive. Talk about heart broken. I still haven’t stopped blaming myself for that one. And I do not want the same thing to happen to my little bitsy!! If anyone has any advice of something to try or stop or change, I’m all ears!!! Willing to try anything! Good luck tomumberger! Hopefully we can both fix our little girls!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They had always had layer crumbles with scratch & plenty of treats, & ad libidum oyster shells, plus free ranging

I’ve recently started mixing their crumbles shells & oyster shell in with their yogurt, but haven’t noticed any improvement.

Cut back or eliminate your scratch and treats. Treats should be no more than 5-10% of daily intake. Anything "extra" dilutes the nutritional content of the diet.

Oyster shell should be made available free choice, don't mix it with feed.

Egg eating can become a bad habit - search here on BYC, you may find some helpful tips to deter your hen.