[PaulineM]

Hi Everyone,

Day 3 of having chickens!

I need advice about my Isa Brown (Mabel) who lays an egg every morning.
The first one had a dent in it, I thought it was because she had moved the straw and it had landed straight on the nest box, the next morning a smaller dent, like her leg had touched it, this morning however it was broken. I did notice the shells were very thin and a little opaque near were the damage was, but this morning my husband was checking the nestbox and mabel was still in there and she got up, so I dont know if that would have caused it, but when we went back 30 mins later the egg was broken and its contents over the straw. They do have access to oyster grit and are getting organic pellets and whole wheat a couple of hours before bedtime.

Any advice welcome.
Thanks

[joyfull]

Do they have access to greens every day?
Also how old is she - they do tend to lay soft shells as they get older.

[Aunt Sally]

You need to do some work to make her shells thicker before one breaks inside her

Immediately give her some bio yogurt.  Mix it with something like porridge or layers mash or crushed pellets.  This will give her an immediate calcium and phosphorous boost.

I doubt that she is short of vitamin D, needed for calcium uptake, but it will do no harm to get some cod liver oil for her and give her a few drops each day for a while.

Next go to a horse feed supplier and buy some limestone flour and add a half a teaspoon of that to her feed each day.  Find something she really enjoys and mix it in.  I use layers mash and moisten it but crushed pellets moistened would be fine.  

Also get some battles poultry drink and add it to the drinking water.  It contains minerals that are required for good shell making.

Good luck and let us all know how you get on.

Aunty x

[PaulineM]

They are on the grass in run, and I have given them a few rocket leaves the first day and they got a few apples yesterday, I think she is no more than 7 months old as I got her from a reccmmended dealer and he told me all about them ages etc but I can't remember exactly I know he said they were all this years birds. We are hoping to let them free range this afternoon.

[PaulineM]

Hi Aunt Sally
How do we manage to feed yoghurt to her alone as we have not attempted to catch any of the chickens yet, and if we do manage to catch her how would we administer the cod liver oil. When I get the limestone flour do I feed that to all the hens? Sorry for sounding so incapable but I suppose we all have to start somewhere.
 

[Aunt Sally]

It will do the hens no harm to all have some yogurt so do enough for all of them (they might get a runny tommy but don't worry about that) you can add the cod liver oil to their yogurt or put a drop on a small piece of bread, mine love a little bit of bread occsionaly.

If you have one hen making soft shells it is quite possible that they are all getting a bit short of calcium so if it is more convenient give them all the supliment for a couple of weeks.

[PaulineM]

Thanks Aunt Sally,
I have tracked down some limestone flour, so off to the shops I go! 

[PaulineM]

Hi again
I made up a concoction of 1 banana, 1/2 tub bio yogurt, capful of cod liver oil and 3 teaspoons of limestone flour, put it in with my 6 chickens and they ate it all.
But I must tell you all the latest saga, we let the girls out for their first free range. Within minutes of being out Mabel fell on the side with her wing out and we thought she was dying, but quickly realised it looked like she was sun bathing. Soon most of them were doing it. They have been in and out of the coop for drinks and it would do you heart good to see them enjoying it. But one of the Wellsummers, (who the breeder said both had been laying daily but had not yet layed for us) went into the nestbox and starting scratching about 20 minutes later I was ready for going to vet or something she seemed very destressed but all of a sudden she came out and yes you have probably guessed it she had layed her first egg for us. I don't know if she was waiting for privacy or what.
Thanks to this Forum and all who use it for the support.   

[Aunt Sally]

As soon as the shell from the broken egg layer seem good you can stop the limestone flour.  They might mug you for bananas and yogurt though 

[PaulineM]

Update
Good and bad news, I think!
Mabel layed her egg as usual this morning,  the shell has definitely improved but the top of the egg where the air pocket is was still open and this part of the shell was still very thin. The problem now is, I heard her pecking around in nestbox and when she emerged making lots of noise at the door of the coop I went and looked in nestbox and discovered the broken egg again but this time I noticed that the yolk was gone. My question is would she eat the yolk because the egg was broken and if so when the shell has improved more will all be fine or now that she has tasted the yolk will she now eat all her eggs and maybe others too! Or maybe there was no yolk!
I will continue with the limestone and yoghurt today. Should I put the poultry drink in the water everyday?

[PaulineM]

P.S.
I forgot to add that she didn't eat her first two eggs.
Thanks

[Aunt Sally]

if an egg is broken then the hen knows it will never become a chick.  What a waste of good nutrients so all hens will at some time eat them.

Poultry drink every day.

[PaulineM]

Update

Whoo! Whoo!   

Success

Mabel layed a perfect egg this morning.  Thank you all so much for all your advice (and no doubt more to come in the future)
I guess she was deficent in Calcium then?
So in future if I see any sign of the shell quality dropping I give the hens some limestone flour.
It just shows how invaluable this site is, if in doubt - ask here!

 

[Aunt Sally]

It has worked rather quickly to have been the reason that her eggs have improved.  It may just have been a blip in the egg making machinery.

But yes, you are right if any of your birds begin to produce poor quality egg sells then a boost in calcium is needed.

[PaulineM]

Update

Mabel layed good eggs for about 5 days then the old problem started to return, I gave her some limstone flour again and the next day the egg was better again. I will continue with limestone for a while longer just to see what happens.

Thanks everyone!