What the heck is this?

[Ninjasquirrel]

I have had that in the past so I made the area mine wanted to lay in not suitable to lay in and then they started to lay in the nest boxes. I have some pullets that recently started laying and they were laying them luckily everywhere in the coop. I put some side by side nest boxes in and they wouldn't really lay in them, next I took them out and put in some cut out totes that I have used in the past. In both cases they did eventually start laying either on the floor or the left nest box. Now I have taken them out and put a 2 tier tower next box. Now they're laying all of the eggs in those 2 nest boxes. Once in awhile I might find an egg on the floor. This is a grow-out coop which normally doesn't have nest boxes. I have a lot of roost space but not much space for nest boxes. The nest boxes need to have tops to keep the poop out. They have a large pen attached.

I thought about just making a nesting box there but i really dont mind it that much. Its directly under the nesting boxes so its easy to grab.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Btw...got 9 eggs today. One was frozen to the roost which they promptly devoured when i tried to remove it. The other was the deformed one i shared this morning. 7 more perfect little eggs.

 

[aart]

Slab side...could be a glitch, could be disease.
Had a couple Lt Brahma that laid those all one winter,
they had mild respiratory issues,
both went away come spring.

 

[rebrascora]

Are they getting a good source of CA++ egg shells or Oyster shell. I don't trust my birds to eat it separately so I just sprinkle some on top of their food. Small 1/2 hand full for 4 chickens. Save your egg shells and smash them on a cookie sheet "bake" at 350 for 5 mins. Watch them they can burn. Cool, smash even smaller and top their food with them my birds love the "cooked" egg shells.

It is not a good idea to add extra calcium to their feed as you may be overdosing them, especially if you use Layer feed which already has calcium added and an overdose of calcium on a regular basis can be as bad for their health as not enough. Trust your birds to take what they need when they need it and give them the source of calcium in a separate bowl.... I find that they eat their own crushed egg shells in preference to oyster shells.... probably because there is a small amount of dried egg stuck to the shells.

 

[WindingRoad]

It is not a good idea to add extra calcium to their feed as you may be overdosing them, especially if you use Layer feed which already has calcium added and an overdose of calcium on a regular basis can be as bad for their health as not enough. Trust your birds to take what they need when they need it and give them the source of calcium in a separate bowl.... I find that they eat their own crushed egg shells in preference to oyster shells.... probably because there is a small amount of dried egg stuck to the shells.

I use 22% protein feed. I don't use Layer Feed. I do give them their own shells back. I put OS on their feed once a week. Hardly and overdose. They won't eat it otherwise. I tried the separate bowl for it. It never was consumed. My birds are fine. No bumble foot, no frostbite, no sour crop, no impacted crop. I started ACV water this week and will give all week then stop for a week. What does an overdose cause? And how do I know if they wouldn't get an overdose buy putting it in another bowl? Do you count the number of pieces they eat?

I've had these birds for over 5 months. 2 are in their second winter of laying they others are 24 weeks old. All have been laying all winter. Good hard shells. I don't feed it everyday. I feed it about once a week.

 

[chickens really]

Hello...
I was told the wrinkled eggs can be a reproductive issue or the Hen isn't drinking enough water.
My one Hen a Barred Rock I had was always passing a wrinkled egg and either a soft shelled or yolk right with the wrinkled one.

 

[rebrascora]

I use 22% protein feed. I don't use Layer Feed. I do give them their own shells back. I put OS on their feed once a week. Hardly and overdose. They won't eat it otherwise. I tried the separate bowl for it. It never was consumed. My birds are fine. No bumble foot, no frostbite, no sour crop, no impacted crop. I started ACV water this week and will give all week then stop for a week. What does an overdose cause? And how do I know if they wouldn't get an overdose buy putting it in another bowl? Do you count the number of pieces they eat?

I've had these birds for over 5 months. 2 are in their second winter of laying they others are 24 weeks old. All have been laying all winter. Good hard shells. I don't feed it everyday. I feed it about once a week.

Calcium overdose can cause kidney failure and/or gout. Unfortunately it is something that will not become apparent until the damage is done and will build up over a long period of time before it gets to a critical point. Some birds will tolerate an overdose better than others. It may be that there is a high level of calcium in your soil or they are getting what they need from other sources.
It is less of a concern if you are not feeding a layer feed but that was not mentioned in your other post and other people reading this might think that adding it to feed is necessary and overdose their birds as a result.
Hens should know when they need extra calcium just like we know when we are thirsty. It is an instinctive response. Animals are much more attuned to their body's needs than we humans are. Birds know when they need grit and calcium and which vegetation is safe to eat and which isn't. I have horses that will stop when we are out riding and insist on eating mud in a certain part of the woods... there is obviously some mineral in that mud in that particular spot in the woods that has something in it that they feel they need because it is always the same spot even if we haven't been there for months or even years. Two of my mares dug up a huge boulder that was just under the surface of their paddock and would stand for ages licking it. The geldings never bothered it so it was probably something to do with the female hormonal system, but they knew that that was what they needed.
A little bit of oyster shell goes a long way so it may have been that your expectation of their consumption was too high or they were getting enough calcium from another source be it in animal, vegetable or mineral form.... this is probably more relevant if they free range and have access to a variety of terrain and vegetation.

If you are concerned that they are ignoring the crushed oyster shells or egg shells, scattering them on the ground will draw their attention to them and perhaps encourage them but still give them the option to take it or leave it, whereas putting it in the feeder can make it compulsory/unavoidable.

 

[WindingRoad]

Calcium overdose can cause kidney failure and/or gout. Unfortunately it is something that will not become apparent until the damage is done and will build up over a long period of time before it gets to a critical point. Some birds will tolerate an overdose better than others. It may be that there is a high level of calcium in your soil or they are getting what they need from other sources.
It is less of a concern if you are not feeding a layer feed but that was not mentioned in your other post and other people reading this might think that adding it to feed is necessary and overdose their birds as a result.
Hens should know when they need extra calcium just like we know when we are thirsty. It is an instinctive response. Animals are much more attuned to their body's needs than we humans are. Birds know when they need grit and calcium and which vegetation is safe to eat and which isn't. I have horses that will stop when we are out riding and insist on eating mud in a certain part of the woods... there is obviously some mineral in that mud in that particular spot in the woods that has something in it that they feel they need because it is always the same spot even if we haven't been there for months or even years. Two of my mares dug up a huge boulder that was just under the surface of their paddock and would stand for ages licking it. The geldings never bothered it so it was probably something to do with the female hormonal system, but they knew that that was what they needed.
A little bit of oyster shell goes a long way so it may have been that your expectation of their consumption was too high or they were getting enough calcium from another source be it in animal, vegetable or mineral form.... this is probably more relevant if they free range and have access to a variety of terrain and vegetation.

If you are concerned that they are ignoring the crushed oyster shells or egg shells, scattering them on the ground will draw their attention to them and perhaps encourage them but still give them the option to take it or leave it, whereas putting it in the feeder can make it compulsory/unavoidable.

Not really when I went out just now they still had feed in their dish and most of the calcium was un eaten. Mealworms gone, scratch gone most of pellets gone. Calcium mostly untouched. You are right they will pick and chose. I just don't dirty another dish.

 

[tonsofchickens66]

Ok so my hens are almost a year old now and its winter time. Ive accepted the fact that laying everyday is not necessarily possible. Ive gotten 6 some days and 7 others but its usually 8 (we have 8 birds). Two days ago we had 7. Yesterday it was 8...but one was tiny. Like a pullet egg. Today i got this:View attachment 1654793
Its hard but misshaped and wrinkled like a soft shell. Should i be worried?

it is nothing to really be worried about unless the hen is consistantly laying like that. it is very common for an egg to pass without completely forming correctly