Soft shells

[BUFFS]

we seem to have a problem with one of our birds,nearly every day this week we have had a broken soft shelled egg in the nest box,we think we know which one is laying it but she seems fine in herself,they get wormx in their water and get a good diet,so any ideas most welcome...i have read the advice on chook health and followed it, and i have put vermx in their water and have also been adding spice to their pellets for last few days to try to boost their systems......

[Nicos]

Do you feed them ground up ,baked egg shell from time to time?

I also leave out crushed oyster shell for mine to boost their calcium levels.
If I forget either I certainly notice the difference in the quality of the laid shell.

[BUFFS]

i have the crushed oyster shell in a pot in their area....with the egg shells,i have always boiled mine,so is it better to bake them? does it change the properties of the shell?

[Nicos]

i have always boiled mine,so is it better to bake them? does it change the properties of the shell?

Absolutely no idea- but they do stink the house out!!

[sheena]

I always pop mine in the oven after any oven cooking (mostly on sundays tho).

Saves energy that way, and you can just make use of the oven whilst it's cooling down.

I'll go back to my green corner now

[BUFFS]

thanks nicos & sheena,after being away for a few days(good neighbour looks after chooks) i am going to treat myself to double egg and chips tonight(OH is at daughters) and will bake the shells,im lazy, so they are oven chips......thanks

[Suechooks]

You could give some cod liver oil as well. This helps to utilise the calcium.

[BUFFS]

to suecooks & sheena,i did what you advised,i bake the shells now and dribble some cod liver oil onto their pellets,it all works,but when i didnt use the oil for 4/5 days,the egg was soft again,so now i put some on every 3 days and that seems to do the trick,just want to say thanks for the info,i was getting a lot of earache over our poorly bird,so you saved my life...

[Nicos]

Cod liver oil eh?
Didn't know that!!!

You learn something every day on here don't you?

I've so far not experienced soft eggs- but I'll know what to do now if I do!!!
Ta!

[BUFFS]

apparently the oil helps the birds absorb the needed vitamins,they seem to like the taste..

[BUFFS]

since using the cod liver oil ,just a dribble every 3rd day,we have had no more soft shells,so thanks to all for your help,it solved a very worrying problem..

[mamas-inc]

would this work also for hen laying eggs with no shell!! ( looks like fried egg in the nest box)had 3 this week from same hen
feed same diet as other who is laying fine.
new hen keepers so advice helpful

[MaureenHall]

would this work also for hen laying eggs with no shell!! ( looks like fried egg in the nest box)had 3 this week from same hen
feed same diet as other who is laying fine.
new hen keepers so advice helpful

I think it would depend on how old the hen is. If she's "getting on a bit", then she might be getting towards the end of her laying life. If she's still a youngster, is she moulting or just finishing a moult? I'd try building her up a bit by adding some poultry spice and perhaps some limestone flour as well as the cod liver oil to the feed

[mamas-inc]

I think it would depend on how old the hen is. If she's "getting on a bit", then she might be getting towards the end of her laying life. If she's still a youngster, is she moulting or just finishing a moult? I'd try building her up a bit by adding some poultry spice and perhaps some limestone flour as well as the cod liver oil to the feed

thanks for that no she only just starting laying about 3 weeks ago so will try that
thank you
gill