[eveshamchelle]

This morning when letting the girls out and giving the coop a quick clean through, I found two soft shelled eggs.  Well, the remains off.  One still had runny contents so I can only assume this was from today. 

We've recently had one of our girls get over her broodiness.  She laid on Sunday a perfectly normal, albeit smaller than previous, egg, but then we had nothing from her yesterday.  I assumed this was because she was still getting over the broodiness but it would appear otherwise.  Our other two are laying fine as usual.

The girls have access to a tub of oyster shell at all times, the seem to kick it over and around the coop more often than not, but it's always avaliable. 

When this one hen was broody before, she came back to lay like nothing had happened.  Her eggs were a bit smaller for about two days and that was it.  This time, though, we seem to be having a bit of a glitch in proceedings.  She's eating more than the other two and was eagerly 'helping' hubby dig on Sunday, almost risking her head and feet and feathers in the process of clearing away worms.

Should I be concerned about this soft-shell phase? Can I do anything more than I am already?  I wondered about mixing a sprinkling of shell into their pellets rather than having it separate ........?

[eveshamchelle]

Bit of an update, so I could really do with some help, PLEASE!!!

No eggs since the two soft shells were found.  No normal or soft from this one hen.  Am worried that she's traumatised or something.  She's certainly active and eating and as normal as ever, but she's not laying anything atall.

Please, anyone any ideas?

[Foxy]

what may happen is that she may not quite get into the laying swing, often after a long period of being broody they go straight into a moult.

[joyfull]

give her time to get back into the swing of things.

[GrannieAnnie]

Can I resurrect this thread please?  A chook customer of mine called tonight.  Some weeks ago, one, sometimes 2 of her girls lay soft shelled eggs.  I told her to get some oyster shell when she phoned before, but tonight she said she is still getting one or two soft shelled eggs a day!  Her girls are 2 years old today!!!     so apart from lime flour (where do you get that from?)  I don't know what else to tell her to get. 

Any advice, gratefully received!

[raeburg]

lime flour can be bought from horsey supply places - i get mine from the farm that sells feed, bedding etc.  It is used in horses as a calcium supplement.  If she can't get hold of it try crushing up a human calcium supplement and adding to their food, perhaps with some cod liver oil to help them absorb the calcium.

[Lydia-Maria]

the domestic fowl trust at Evesham(Honeybourne)also stock a liquid calcium supplement for chickens.They do have an on-line shop,if they stock it though,I would assume other poultry suppliers may also stock it.

[beulah59]

How much lime flour should you give them?

And how about ground up egg shell?

[Rubellite]

Another simple solution is to feed some leafy greens as they are a good source of calcium. My Myrtle loves her greens and lays the hardest shells.
Not too much too often though as then you'll end up with mucky bums  
Balance is the key  

[viettaclark]

I've also had these glitches with my Magpie laying softies. I put it down to an upset (workmen in the garden) but it could just be that she went a bit broody because she laid 4 eggs (one huge hard double yolker and two softies) in 24 hours, was sitting on the other girls eggs and flattened herself when I came near. When they get out of synch (for any reason) eggs might be be soft because they're laid too early in the egg cycle.Phyllis didn't lay anything for a  couple of days then I had normal hard but smaller eggs in the afternoon. It took a couple of days for her to get back into synchto get back to morning layingl. It wasn't lack of calcium at all. The layers pellets provide everything they need and there's oyster grit always available. You just need to make sure they eat plenty of pellets and save treats for later on. You can actually overdo the calcium which creates different probs!

[GrannieAnnie]

This lady's girls have been laying these softies for weeks now though and they have nearly a quarter of an acre of grass and weeds to eat, so not short on greens!

I'll tell her again about the lime flour and other calcium supplements.  Thanks everyone for your help.

[Rubellite]

This lady's girls have been laying these softies for weeks now though and they have nearly a quarter of an acre of grass and weeds to eat, so not short on greens!

I'll tell her again about the lime flour and other calcium supplements.  Thanks everyone for your help.

That kind of points to something they're eating/doing which is stopping them from absorbing the calcium, then. My Mum has vit B injections and we were unsure as to why until we read an article which had to do with absorbing calcium. So Marmite might be worth a try..........

[GrannieAnnie]

Thanks Rubellite, I'll tell her that when I call her tonight!

[viettaclark]

I thought there was vit.B in cereals? Layers pellets contain cereal as well as calcium so if they're eating enough layers absorption shouldn't be a problem......? Maybe they're filling up on goodies in the field?

[GrannieAnnie]

I'm sure she's still giving them proper pellets Vietta, but yes you are right, they should be getting everything they need from the pellets, unless they are so busy eating the grass they don't bother with the pellets?

I forgot to call her tonight as was a bit busy, but I'll talk to her tomorrow.