thin shell eggs?!

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Tricky

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thin shell eggs?!
« on: July 17, 2018, 19:53 »
hi all, one of my chickens has over time started laying eggs with thin and brittle shells (not soft shell). what is she missing in her diet? is there a supplement i can give?
thank you.

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grinling

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2018, 20:34 »
they need access to calcium, most people use oyster shell in a pot. Chickens need access to greens as well.
As chickens get older their shells do get thinner.

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Tricky

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2018, 18:11 »
they need access to calcium, most people use oyster shell in a pot. Chickens need access to greens as well.
As chickens get older their shells do get thinner.

thank you for the reply.
yes the girl is getting old now, and they do have a quite a large green area to roam freely. i'll try oyster shells, any idea what sort of shop would sell such a product?

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greenjay

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2018, 19:44 »
where do you get your chicken food from? they should also sell other supplements.
do you have an agricultural supplier near you they definitely would.

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New shoot

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2018, 09:17 »
Pet shops also have it for caged birds.  It is a finer milled product than the poultry one, but my lot seem to prefer it.

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Tricky

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2018, 18:56 »
thank you all, will keep you posted on any progress.  :)

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Kate58

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2018, 19:41 »
I am having the same problem with thin shelled eggs.  The girls get layers pellets, a cabbage most days and a constant supply of mixed grit and oyster shell.  I have just bought calcium drops to put in their water - been using them for about two weeks now.  The shells of some of them (possibly two or three) are still no better. They have also been eating the thin shelled eggs and I am worried they may be getting a taste for them.  The chickens I am having trouble with are some I bought last year.  They are all different breeds to each other - not fancy breeds. Any suggestions please, apart  from what I am threatening them with each time I go in to the run? Thanks.

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grinling

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2018, 19:53 »
Have any moulted this year..feathers everywhere.

Is breathing clear in all of them
Are eyes clear or are they bubbly in the corner?

Did you get them as layers or POL?
Did any of the sellers also had turkeys for sale?
« Last Edit: October 09, 2018, 19:54 by grinling »

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8doubles

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2018, 10:52 »
I had a hen that would walk straight past the pellet dish first thing and fill up on grass.
I stopped the free ranging for the first half hour so if they were hungry (always) it was pellets or nothing.
That way you know that with the pre roost fill up with pellets they have a good amount of calcium.

Always had a dish of oyster shell, NEVER in years saw one eat any of it ! :nowink:

Sometimes no amount of added calcium will stop thin shells as the problem is with how the hen is forming the egg , no suprise as it is a  small miracle in itself ! :)

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Kate58

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2018, 21:20 »
Thanks for your reply.  One of the chickens is moulting at the moment - it looks like a snow storm in there - but she isn't the problem. The other white one who lays white shelled eggs and one of the others who lay  pale brown ones are the ones with the thin shells.  They are all breathing OK and their eyes are bright and clear.  They were bought as POL to replace others who had died (quite naturally - no disease). The place we get chickens from is a large farm who supply to large scale businesses as well as the back yard chicken keeper.  I have bought from them for the past eight years with no problems. As far as I am aware there were no turkeys bred there and the only one we have is at Christmas (oven ready!) I keep a dish of grit and oyster shell in with them at all times and it does need replenishing regularly. 

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grinling

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Re: thin shell eggs?!
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2018, 12:11 »
breathing and eyes check for mycoplasma... but that sounds good
How many are sharing a cabbage...they need greens to take up the calcium, so might need more. Are all the hens eating it.
Would it be possible to have them on the grass or make a movable run area attached to the main run.
I prefer separate grit and oyster containers to see what is being eaten
Have they always produced thin shells.
The commercial place cockerels might be getting on a bit and would be used for both leghorns..white eggs and warrens...brown eggs.



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