[hensjs]

One of my hens is laying eggs with soft shells. There is plenty of grit available so that isn't the problem. We have had a problem with mites which I have resolved but I wondered if anyone else had encountered this problem and what they did to remedy it.

[LittleRedHen]

I have two hens with this problem right now.  We give them grit, vitamin supplement, poultry spice, layer pellets and fresh veg and a variety of mixed seeds.  They've been laying flat out now for two years - even straight through the winter.  I think they just are coming to the end of their laying days and they are just incapable of laying a hard shelled egg.  They don't lay every day anymore either.  I don't know how old your hens are. 

[joyfull]

grit is for grinding their feed up they need crushed oyster shells for calcium.

[hensjs]

Many thanks for the messages - I did fear it might be age. My hen is in her 4th year and has been laying flat out too! I have stopped putting out additional scraps to their normal diet (layers pellets and grit and corn) due to rats. My other hen has stopped laying altogether at the moment so I thought something has upset them. I shall try vit supplement and oyster shells (neighbour has this so see if it helps).

[Redgoat]

One solution may be to crush some egg shells up and add it to their feed.
This gives them a calcium boost.

[joyfull]

make sure the egg shells are washed and then baked and crushed first though 

[hensjs]

Thank you - will try the eggshells crushed - I haven't done this as I have heard it might lead to them eating their own eggs but crushed and washed might work.