[Cat]

Hi

This morning when I went to collect the eggs I saw one of my girls with a big egg shell in her beak running away from the others and they were all eating a broken egg.  And I not giving them enough calcium. We dry out our egg shells in the oven and crush them up and add this to their food.

I think this happens quite often because we used to get about 4/5 eggs a day and now we are down to 3. The girl that had the big piece in her mouth is the biggest hen I have. She is quite a bit bigger than the other ones.

What am I doing wrong??

thanks

[Vember]

These things happen Cat, it might have started after one layed a softshell and they got the taste for it 

Is it possible to give them some oyster shell as well as their own shell?

I have read that some people blow an egg and re-fill it with mustard, so when they break it it tastes so nasty that they never do it again 

Only other thing would be to get at the eggs first, but this isn't always practical


Sarah

[Cat]

Hi Sarah

I was watching them this morning and it seems like they only do it with one hens eggs. There were 2 other eggs but they didn't touch them.  It took them a few seconds to eat the egg 

They get crab shells instead of oyster shells.

I think I am going to have to blow an egg and fill it.

Thanks
Cat

[marygall]

I used to give my hens thier own egg shells baked and crushed as the only calcium and I eventually got soft eggs. I don't think it's enough, though it might just be coincidence that when I started with the oyster shell, the soft shells stopped. I found a few remains of soft shells but not much egg left for a while but fortunately mine don't seem to have picked up the habit. They do get plenty of variety and they get out to free range in a large garden. Could it be boredom?
My son dropped an egg in the run one morning and all the hens helped to eat it - maybe you've got one who breaks the egg and the others just take advantage of the free meal?
I'd be interested to know if the mustard egg works...

[Cat]

Does anybody know if dried cuttle fish is good for chickens?

If they are, should I smash them up or give it to them whole?? And other forms of shells? like muscle shells?

[Vember]

I offered mine a whole one once Cat Turned their noses up at it

So long as it's well washed, the salt on it straight from the sea wouldn't do them any good but I'd say defo worth a try smashing it up and maybe adding it to their feed


Found this info on cleaning the salt off by soaking it for a bit:

If you soak them in fresh water, and change the water a couple of times

Sarah

[Cat]

Thanks for that info. I gave them cuttle fish yesterday and they really loved it. I crushed it up and added it to their food.