Very thin/unformed egg shells

[GumBranchChick]

I did cut back on treats & scratch 4-5 months ago, before all this happened, oddly enough. Bc the more I read, the more I worried I was over-doing it. They do get oyster shell ad libitum, not mixed in with their food. I mix extra with yogurt hoping to increase their intake. I am extremely concerned about the bad habit of egg eating. I tried adding fake eggs to the box as soon as it started but it didn’t change much. That’s when I realized how thin the shells were. At this point, I don’t know what’s coming first, the egg breaking on its own or the egg being broken to eat it.

 

[bad monkey]

Have either of you ever had problems with vent gleet? When I first got my birds a year ago they came with it. The bird that let me know it was laying those. I would try apple cider vinegar with the mother to balance their ph, it's part of my guys regiment now. Mine aren't rocks but they look like they were crossed with the columbian rock at some point.
I don't use oyster shell calcium, I put their shells in a blender and give them back. It's a calcium they produce naturally, if you have some orange peels the birds love it. Chickens will get vent gleet a couple time a year if the acid in their system get too high. My eggs are thin right this minute but the weather has had them really stressed. That egg looks like a clear slime is coming next, it's nothing to worry about, then it's just a warm bath and acv. Just a side note antibiotics can make them acidic. Take care

 

[tomumberger]

She laid a mostly-intact egg today (the tip was cracked) so hopefully her laying situation is improving!

 

[GumBranchChick]

That is great news!! Fingers crossed for her!
My wonderful vet just got back to me & is having me do 500mg of tums crushed daily in her feed. I have done tums before when I was worried about the potential one was egg bound, based on some info I found on here. But I never knew an exact amount, so I was cautious & did less than that. So I’m glad to have an amount, for now & for future use. And it’s something I would think you could try also @tomumberger if she needs a calcium boost. Keep us posted on her progress!!
@bad monkey, I don’t think I’ve heard of vent gleet before but I wil definitely research it. Thank you! The affected hen has never been on antibiotics. Our weather has been very all over the place for this time of year, but it’s actually been cooler than is normal, which I think would be less stressful. There has been a wasp nest with one wasp on it for 3-4 weeks, but it never leaves its nest that I’ve seen & this has been going on way longer than that. I tried just getting rid of the nest but it built a new one. Hate to kill a beneficial insect, but if it’s bothering them I guess I don’t have a choice.

 

[GumBranchChick]

I haven’t gotten any eggs out of my girl since the rubber egg. And idk if I should worry or leave her alone. She’s acting normal. Poop is a little loose, but on a hot day that’s pretty normal for them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I haven’t gotten any eggs out of my girl since the rubber egg. And idk if I should worry or leave her alone. She’s acting normal. Poop is a little loose, but on a hot day that’s pretty normal for them.

If she is acting normal, personally I would leave her be. Worry? Maybe...I've found that sometimes there is not a lot that can be done for a hen that consistently has laying problems, except to keep watch on them- making sure they are eating a balanced poultry feed and not too many treats, drinking well, have no external/internal parasites, crop is emptying completely overnight, etc. Treat symptoms as they arise and end suffering once they stop eating or decline.

 

[GumBranchChick]

I have a tendency to over mettle when I worry & sometimes it makes things worse, so I’ve been trying really hard to dial it back.
I’ve been checking her crop the last few days bc last weekend when I let the girls out with the rooster he picked all the feathers off her crop. Never done that before. But they’re coming back now that he is separated. And she’s still eating & drinking & pooping. She has never slowed down her laying since she started. Six eggs a week, every week. So if she’s slowing down a little naturally, I would actually prefer that bc her body will get a break. She was born with funny little wings & I assume that’s why she was getting pecked to death at a week old. But she bounced right back when I brought her home with me & started nursing that wound. Still has very strange wings, & I always assumed there were bound to be other genetic issues hidden in there somewhere. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy. Thanks for being a voice of reason & wisdom!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a tendency to over mettle when I worry & sometimes it makes things worse, so I’ve been trying really hard to dial it back.
I’ve been checking her crop the last few days bc last weekend when I let the girls out with the rooster he picked all the feathers off her crop. Never done that before. But they’re coming back now that he is separated. And she’s still eating & drinking & pooping. She has never slowed down her laying since she started. Six eggs a week, every week. So if she’s slowing down a little naturally, I would actually prefer that bc her body will get a break. She was born with funny little wings & I assume that’s why she was getting pecked to death at a week old. But she bounced right back when I brought her home with me & started nursing that wound. Still has very strange wings, & I always assumed there were bound to be other genetic issues hidden in there somewhere. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy. Thanks for being a voice of reason & wisdom!

YVW
I too sometimes over mettle, but not as much as I used to. A lot depends on the hen. I have an absolute pet/favorite that is not doing all that great at this time. I've been watching her for several months, but I fear her time is coming soon. I do offer supportive care, will try a few things to make them more comfortable, etc. She's still going/fairly active, but if she quits eating, I will have to let her go.

I hope your girl remains happy. If she is still laying 6days a week, then she is doing really good. I wish you well.

 

[GumBranchChick]

YVW
I too sometimes over mettle, but not as much as I used to. A lot depends on the hen. I have an absolute pet/favorite that is not doing all that great at this time. I've been watching her for several months, but I fear her time is coming soon. I do offer supportive care, will try a few things to make them more comfortable, etc. She's still going/fairly active, but if she quits eating, I will have to let her go.

I hope your girl remains happy. If she is still laying 6days a week, then she is doing really good. I wish you well.

I’m sorry to hear your girl isn’t doing great. This is my favorite also! She was my first little chicky.

Update: We finally had a normal egg this morning!!! But I’ve discovered that her crop is plucked clean again. So it’s not the roosters fault. Her poop is normal & her crop seems to still be emptying, not completely empty right now, but she’s been eating this morning. Should I get a layer crumble that has more than 15%? That’s what our store close-by has, but I could check around.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

her crop seems to still be emptying, not completely empty right now,

Should I get a layer crumble that has more than 15%?

I'm glad you have a normal egg this morning!

If her crop is not emptying completely by morning, then I would monitor that carefully. Re-check the crop again tomorrow morning before she eats/drinks-if it's not empty, then I would start treating her.
Quick "snapshot" of identifying crop problems: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
Very detailed treatment/identification, very much worth the read: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

What we feed is a personal choice-that said, I feel that 15% is fairly low. If that is all your hens eat (no treats period) then it's probably o.k. "Extras" dilute the nutritional content of feed. I would try to find a layer that is at least 18%. I use Flock Raiser which is 20% and provide oyster shell free choice.

Getting her crop plucked is probably from another hen. If she has pin feathers coming in, then whoever it is, is probably eating them. Hopefully if you increase the protein, this problem will stop, but sometimes the feather plucking just becomes a bad habit too.