[Bev]

Oh dear,
 
Buffy the egg slayer has come back into lay again. Her eggs still have just a membrane and no shell. She has never layed very well despite all my efforts with calcium suppplements, greens, grit, oyster shell and everything. She is coming up to 3 years old. My other 2 of the same breed bought at the same time lay really well.

I was happy to keep her while she wasn't laying because she is very friendly and no trouble but now she is laying she is making an eggy mess in the hen house every day and in the summer it gets very smelly even though I scoop the egg out every day.

I know I should really pull her neck and move on but I have gone all soft. Don't suppose there is any one out there that could offer her a good home? She only eats her own egg! It might not be a problem with a different hen house system.

If not I need some advice on how to be the most humane when it comes to dispatching her.

Sorry!

Bev

[Hayley'sHens]

Where abouts are you Bev?

[Bev]

Very close to Towcester in Northamptonshire.

Just been reading the Humane Slaughter Associations website. There is a lot more to it than I thought! I definatley won't kill her myself as I am terrified of making her suffer. I will wait a while and see if there is a home for her too!

[swedishchicken]

Hi,
My vet has begun putting implants in chickens. It stops her from laying eggs for up to a year. I have had 5 of mine implanted when they started getting egg laying issues and it is a very good solution.
You could see if there is a vet near you that does it. Not very expensive either.
Alternatively if you decide to have her put to sleep, any vet can do that for you. and it is by far the most humane option.
That is also quite inexpensive. I think it varies from vet to vet, but I think it will be somewhere from £10 and up.

Good luck

[Casey76]

It is perfectly normal for hens to eat their soft-shelled eggs.  After all, in the wild it would attract predators.

If she is not touching other, normal, eggs (and most hens don't), I would just leave her to it, and focus again on the problem of getting her shell gland working again.

You could try "shell max booster" which is a liquid product and there is anecdotal evidence from members here having good results.

Please be careful of supplementing only calcium though, to make good shells you need the correct calcium to phosphorus ratio.

[Bev]

Oh wow thank you for your help, I will definately try "shell max booster". In fact I have just found it on the internet and ordered some. It would be so excellent if Buffy could stay! Can't wait to try it! Bev

[Bev]

Hi,

Got my shell max booster! I have a 3 litre water thing so I put a bit less than 1ml in as instructed. Quite a big bottle so if anyone nearby needs some please do have some of it (Near Towcester). Do you think I should change the water daily or just leave it until it needs topping up?

Oh yes - very exciting, Buffy laid an egg with a shell on it the day the shell booster arrived in the post! It must be very potent!!!!!

Only 1 egg today and I think it was Lara's, no egg mess on the hen house floor! Can't wait to see what tommorow brings, tee hee!

Bev