Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: carolbriar on May 13, 2010, 10:16
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When a hen lays an egg does it harden off a bit once it is laid? I opened the nest box and my cuckoo maran had just laid an egg and while she was still there I went to pick the egg up and the shell gave where I put my finger. I picked it up very carefully and brought it in and cracked it open and put it in a bowl. The shell was very thin. Presumably it is alright to eat today? She has only been laying for about 2 1/2 months, laid 3 double yolkers in the past three weeks and normal ones in between. Then she didn't lay for a couple of days and after laying two eggs since then today was this very thin shell. All previous ones have been normal shell. She is about 41 weeks old.
I use Ostrea oyster grit - they don't seem to be eating it really. There is grit available as well. Is the Ostrea just to be used as oyster grit or does it get used like grit aswell? Mine don't seem to like greens but do love peas. Should I try and get some limestone flour or just wait and see?
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I think ostrea has shell and grit in it so they will just help themselves to it when they need to, the grit for grinding and the shell for their calcium. As she is fairly new to this laying game I would hold off the limestone flour for a bit but just keep a close eye on her. Yes you can eat thin shelled eggs :)
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Thanks Joyful. I will just watch her and see what happens. It is very easy to keep an eye on her eggs as they are the only deep brown egg being laid :) What I meant about eating the egg was the fact that I had cracked the shell a bit which is why I broke it open and put it in a bowl in the fridge. I will just use it up today rather than keeping it any longer. :)
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They are a tiny bit softer when they are laid and do harden up, but thin shell is thin shell, and erratic laying, and double yolkers are not good signs. Best to keep an eye on her until she settles down again.