What Can I Do?

[ParadiseChickens]

Ok, someone is consistantly laying a rubber coated egg..... I find one UNDER the roost for the last 2 weeks every other morning.

Details of their management -

8 hens born around March 1
6 of them have been laying since mid July AND on the nest
2 of them have not however they may be the culprits since their combs have just appeared to mature (in length and redness) the past week or so
egg production has been about 5 per day and now with the rubbery ones is down to 2 - 3 normal ones on the rubbery laying days
they are fed and watered well
they eat Purina Layena with Omega 3 - they ate Dumor Laying the first couple of their laying months and I didnt like the way the coop smelled
they have a 12 x 12 coop with the same size outside run and because of too many loose dogs in the area cannot free range
they have sand on the floor of the coop and run
they have 3 nest boxes

What can I do to harden up the eggs if I already (and have always had) oyster shell out for free choice feeding. They do not appear to be touching it.

 

[daddy_roo]

maybe try mixing the oyster shell in the feed. I have heard many people on here have a lot of sucess with that.

 

[rancher hicks]

I try to give them oyster shell (soluble) grit every now and then and sometimes toss a handful in the layer feed.

 

[NC ChickenKate]

I scramble an egg every morning along with it's shell broken up (by hand) into tiny pieces, mixed all together...my 8 eat it all up!

 

[chickened]

You can feed calcium grit as well as oyster shells. There are a few ailments that cause soft eggs.

 

[ParadiseChickens]

Thank you for the responses. I am now seeing a soft empty shell under the roost now every morning this week. I am still getting at least 4 eggs per day out of the 8 and since I have not seen 2 of them ever go any where near the nest box, I think only 6 are laying. Maybe the 2 that I dont think are laying have begun to lay soft shell eggs? I am just really curious as to why they are always UNDER the roost as I have always found the eggs that I do get in the next boxes.

Also, I am a new chicken owner (since March 2011) and have not ever given them scratch and dont really know what it is for. They do have the oyster shell in a bowl for free choice but should I give them scratch and is there any possibility that helps to get a harder shell on those that are soft.

Also as an FYI....the normal eggs that I have always gotten since first lay in July have been very hard shelled.

 

[chickened]

Most likely they are laying them at night while on the roost. A hen has no sensation or urge to lay with soft eggs I have seen them plop out on the ground while walking and no cackle squatting nothing they act as if it never happened. There is a good book called the Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow and it is an invaluable book about what ails chickens.
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