Soft half inch band around hard egg, every time

[Lynnski]

I have tried to read everything i could here, on soft shelled eggs and egg eaters. I dont know if its unique that my hen lays a hard egg with a soft band around it, but shes pretty consistent.

A friend gave me 3 white hens that were are about 4 years old. I have had them about a year, they layed eggs all winter long here in the northeast. I started to notice broken and partial eggs in the box and found that one ate her own eggs. I have been very lucky that the others havent followed suit, i am quick to get out there now.

They are fed regular layer pellets, the occasional grape, corn cobs or broccoli, have oyster shells free choice, healthy and happy. With all the great advice here, i started to supplement (only) her with calcium. Its been a week and i dont see much change...although i do see more random soft shelled or yolk in their poop trays.

I guess i wonder if one week of calcium is enough to tell if shes just got a calcium problem or shes unable to lay hard eggs. Im getting down to the wire about seeing this to an end because i fear the others starting to eat eggs and i havesix 4 week old chicks to integrate soon. Any thoughts are welcome, but i wouldnt feel right about giving her away knowing shes eating the eggs, and dont feel capable to dispatch her. Thanks

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello! I would keep dosing her and up their protein. She might have a higher nutient need.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd continue the calcium for another week and see if anything changes. If it doesn't help then there's likely nothing you can do nutrient wise to "fix" it. If you really don't want to cull her at that point then the best option would probably be to see if a vet can give her an injection to temporarily stop her from laying.

 

[aart]

they layed eggs all winter long here in the northeast.

Are you using supplemental lighting?

 

[Lynnski]

Thanks @SmiYa0126 and @rosemarythyme...good points...i will do the calcium twice a day for another week and see what happens. I didnt know a vet could stop them from laying...i would consider that over culling if i cant find someone to do the deed.

@aart, no supplemental lighting. I did that once with my 2016 crew but decided to go au' naturale from then on. We got these girls in terrible shape. Skinny, dirty, scared and my husband believes they were so thankful to be here they just kept giving us gifts! ha!

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

Are you using supplemental lighting?

Mine do too, and i only use a red heat light at night and a regular LED bulb for daytime. I follow the "if its daylight outside the bulb is on. At dark the red light" because i know their bodies need rest. But they still lay all winter!

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

I have tried to read everything i could here, on soft shelled eggs and egg eaters. I dont know if its unique that my hen lays a hard egg with a soft band around it, but shes pretty consistent.

A friend gave me 3 white hens that were are about 4 years old. I have had them about a year, they layed eggs all winter long here in the northeast. I started to notice broken and partial eggs in the box and found that one ate her own eggs. I have been very lucky that the others havent followed suit, i am quick to get out there now.

They are fed regular layer pellets, the occasional grape, corn cobs or broccoli, have oyster shells free choice, healthy and happy. With all the great advice here, i started to supplement (only) her with calcium. Its been a week and i dont see much change...although i do see more random soft shelled or yolk in their poop trays.

I guess i wonder if one week of calcium is enough to tell if shes just got a calcium problem or shes unable to lay hard eggs. Im getting down to the wire about seeing this to an end because i fear the others starting to eat eggs and i havesix 4 week old chicks to integrate soon. Any thoughts are welcome, but i wouldnt feel right about giving her away knowing shes eating the eggs, and dont feel capable to dispatch her. Thanks

Sorghum messes up the one hormone that Causes egg shell creation. If your feed has sorghum, change it to a corn based and give her a couple weeks. I never had any with the soft band, but i had 20+at once that laid soft shell consistently. I changed their food to non- sorghum. It was fixed.
Egg eaters usually happen when they aren't getting enough calories. (Another sorghum issue - chickens don't like it is nutritionally deficient) i supplemented with plain cheap light bread while i waited for the new feed to take effect. I also put a ton of those fake Easter eggs and wooden eggs in all my boxes.
That worked for me. But the food change was key.

 

[Lynnski]

Wow @Snakebiteholloway, i hadnt even considered this. And although i was sure there would be sorghum in the feed, it isnt in there...

"Processed Grain By-Products, Grain Products, Calcium Carbonate, Plant Protein Products, Salt, DL-Methionine, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K), Niacin Supplement, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Dried Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite"

Thanks for reminding me about the fake eggs, i will add the easter eggs too!

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

Bit suspicious of the "processed grain and grain by products" bit. Starting about 4 years ago, sorghum debates hit the media. I think a lot of companies switched listing the sorghum for that vague and incomprehensible mess, lol.
Extra tip; i wasn't sure i had an egg eater. I wasn't getting as many eggs, but no mess, no shells. I put up a camera but it wasn't much help.
The fake easter eggs being open made me positive i had one!
I should change my handle to 'sorghum hater'. I did a years worth of research. I hate it.
I also believe it's responsible for so much poultry illness over the last four years. US birds have no resistance to overseas microorganisms.

 

[Lynnski]

Im with you @Snakebiteholloway, im very sus about ingredients that say processed and by-products in my or my dogs food, it never occurred to me to check their feed.

Off topic- i have learned so much about our ultra processed foods from watching a dr on you tube named Chris Van Tulleken. His book was a hard, technical read, but his talks on youtube are quite eye opening, me being from the generation that remembers the change in foods in the 1970's

thanks for your time and thoughts.