Weak shelled eggs

[Carolyn227]

My easter egger has been laying very weak shelled eggs. They usually have chunks of the shell material on the outside of the egg. She gets supplements of oyster shell and free ranges and has access to plenty of food and water. Twice this week I've noticed even weaker shelled eggs that obviously dropped out of her while she was perched, like she had no idea it was coming. My other layers have zero problems with their eggs' shells, and have never had eggs do that before. I've also noticed the color of the eggs has become much more pale, almost white.

Is this a problem with the hen or is there something I can do to help her out?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can look at the thin shelled eggs on this link for a brief discussion of the many different possible causes.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/ourbooks/1/egg-quality-handbook/

If all the others are OK and they are all being treated the same, then it has something to do with the individual hen. Exactly what, I don't know. It may be something with her shell gland or how she processes the calcium. Maybe her instincts are not right and she is ignoring the oyster shell. If she has just started laying, maybe she has not yet worked out the kinks in her internal egg laying factory. That can sometimes take a couple of weeks. Since she free ranges, it is possible she ate something that did not agree with her.

I don't have a good answer for you. Look through that link. Maybe something will hit a chord with you. I'd probably just wait a while and observe.

Good luck!

 

[Carolyn227]

I looked on that page and found the technical term for what her eggs usually look like- sandpaper or rough shells. Should I take her in to the vet, cull her, or just deal with her eggs? She's been laying for about 9 months or so. We don't sell eggs and neither of my other two layers has ever had a problem with her eggs. I don't recall her eggs starting out like this, but it's been like this for about 3-4 months at least. I'm not entirely sure.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know your circumstances, but I'd suggest you just deal with it. There is nothing wrong with her eggs as far as being safe to eat. I often get some "sandpaper" eggs and they are fine to eat.

 

[Daisy8s]

I had one hen who laid thin-shelled eggs while the others were fine. Then, for other reasons, I switched from Purina Layena to fresh mash from my local mill. I was surprised to see that the egg walls thickened up...not as strong as the other hens but thick enough that they wouldn't break in my hand.

I'm not sure what the connection is but once again it was a lesson that something in a pretty bag with a fancy label isn't necessarily the best nutrition.

Oh, and I was putting out oyster shell before the switch in feeds so it wasn't a deficiency there. I even ground it up and added it to the Layena to be sure the hen was getting it since I never saw her take it from the dish.