Leghorn eggs.

[danael151]

My leghorn hens are laying daily but their egg shells are extremely hard! I feed a 16% laying pellet and supplement no oyster shell or any other calcium enriched food... This is my first time owning chickens, I just want to know if this is normal to have such hard shells?? Help

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hi and welcome to BYC. Folks accustomed to the eggs from commercial producers sold in the grocery store are often surprised by the differences between those eggs and farm-fresh eggs they get from their own flock. One of the most common differences is in the thickness and strength of the shells. That being said, based just from this post it is not really possible to say if what you are noticing is in the "normal" range or not, but my instinct is that your eggs are very much normal and fine and simply coming from happy, healthy, well-cared for birds.

 

[ralleia]

I remember when my hens were young, the shells were quite thick.

As the hens age a bit and settle into laying, then the shells will most likely become thinner. Our hens are pretty old now so some of the eggs are more brittle then I would like them to be.

So yes, what you are experiencing sound normal!