Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: chickadee11 on October 27, 2010, 10:16
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Hi, I have 4 ex-bats and 1 rhode island red. One of my hens lays eggs with very pale (almost white) shells with a rough texture like sandpaper. She's been doing this for several months. I thought she was ill at one point and I had a really chronic infestation of mites so I put it down to that. She also didn't grown her missing feathers like the others did. Recently she's totally perked up and has begun growing the missing feathers but the egg shell hasn't changed. Has anyone got any ideas as to why her egg shells are strange?
I can't think it will be her diet because the others are all laying lovely brown eggs with nice thick shells. Also I have had some soft egg shells recently (probably about one every 2-3 weeks), but I'm not sure if it's the same hen, it could be.
Thanks
Chickadee
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with elderly hens coming towards the end of their laying this can be quite normal, some change colour others get wrinkly and odd shaped - this is why chicken farms get rid of them as the supermarkets think we don't like eggs that are different :wacko:
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Thanks for reassuring reply Joyful, I have had wrinkly ones too but the eggs are ok inside so I still eat them. Glad this can happen without the chickens being ill..not bothered about the eggs particularly, just happy that the hens are having a nice life now.
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It may be that when she gets all her feathers back that her eggs get normal again. How old is she, and are the egg shells thick?
CC xx
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Only just seen last reply. Think the chicken is about 18 months - 2 yrs. The shells are fairly thin-ish. Don't think it's a lack of oyster shell though, the others are laying normal thick egg shells...except one hen has recently laid 2 eggs with NO shell! Think I got some not so healthy ex-bats, I've had quite a few problems with them since I got them 6 months ago.
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I've been told that a rough shell is due to an excess of vitamin D. Not sure how correct that is.
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We had that problem with Pearl, and the eggs were absolutely enormous. Huge rough white ones. Really eye watering :ohmy:
She's also ex batt and I think has now stopped laying.
Best thing I found for shell quality is a product called Shell Max Booster.