[tonethebone]

Our 8 ex batts are usually on the ball when it comes to laying with an average of 6 eggs a day. Recently however, I've noticed what looks like a broken egg in the nest.
I'm pretty sure they aren't breaking it on purpose and I've ruled out clumsiness (as its happened every day for the last 3 days).
There are bits of shell and usual egg contents left when I look in.
They have their usual pellets and free range every afternoon and there is oyster shell for them (tho they tend to turn their nose up at it!)

The only things I have done differently in the last few days is to do a monthly clean out of their coop and their first worming since I got them (had them just over a month) using Verm-X.

Anything else I should check or do?

[joyfull]

Battery hens are usually coming to the end of their laying lives (which is why poultry farmers get rid of them) and as such their egg laying will be slowing down. Towards the end they are also prone to laying odd and miss-shaped eggs and also thin shelled eggs which is probably what one of yours is doing. Just keep a close eye on them to make sure. Some peeps on here also recommend limestone flour but I have never used this so can't coment about this. Verm x by the way is an organic worm preventative and not really a wormer (if you do suspect worms try flubenvet - a seven day course with no egg withdrawal).

[SnooziSuzi]

to add to Joys post; I tried crushed oyster shell in addition to their pellets but they never touched it so I found a tackshop selling limestone flour yesterday after a suggestion from Poultrygeist; huge tub and it only cost £4.44 - I was expecting them to say it was more like £20 so I was really chuffed!

now just to see if their eggshells firm up in a few days time

[tonethebone]

Thanks for that. I'll get hold of some limestone flour tomorrow.

My normal instinct would be that they should get all of their vitamins from their layers pellets but I have noticed recently that they are more keen to get out onto the grass than munch on the pellets!

[joyfull]

thats pretty normal (grass weeds etc are good for them) but just to make sure they eat more layers pellets cut down on any other treats for a bit. If the problem persists I think Allen and Page do a feed specifically for ex bats.