High Egg Fatality Rate

[Livia Ammon]

I have a Whiting True Blue hen who I wanted to hatch some eggs from, but at the first candleing, they all quit. I have seen her get bred by our rooster, so the eggs are fertile, but I noticed that her eggshells were on the thin side and she has a lot of calcium deposits in and on them. Any tips or tricks to get her laying fertile eggs?

 

[DemeterAD9]

Crack some more eggs and post photos, that one already pictured doesn’t appear to be fertile to me.

As for the calcium deposits, that’s likely a genetic thing in her that probably won’t go away unless she is a young pullet just starting to lay. Even then I wouldn’t expect to see all her eggs with calcium deposits like that. IMO hatching eggs from a bird, who already displays egg laying problems, probably isn’t a good idea but maybe the roosters genes will override that in the offspring. For thin shells I’d be offering supplemental calcium. Some poultry vitamins and minerals in the water wouldn’t hurt either.

 

[Livia Ammon]

Thank you! I give calcium, but it’s the chunk form and I don’t think they like it much.

 

[nuthatched]

If she doesn't like the rooster, she can reject his sperm.

 

[Livia Ammon]

I checked the eggs, and they looked fertilized to me, with a bullseye white shape on the egg yolk. I think she had some sort of deformity in her oviduct, because her eggs all had excessive calcium on the outside and thin shells. Also, when I went on vacation this past week, I had a farmsitter take care of my chickens, and she became emaciated and died just after I returned. My farmsitter noticed that she was acting lethargic a couple of days before she died, and would separate herself from the others. She wasn't eggbound; Her vent was clear.

 

[nuthatched]

I checked the eggs, and they looked fertilized to me, with a bullseye white shape on the egg yolk. I think she had some sort of deformity in her oviduct, because her eggs all had excessive calcium on the outside and thin shells. Also, when I went on vacation this past week, I had a farmsitter take care of my chickens, and she became emaciated and died just after I returned. My farmsitter noticed that she was acting lethargic a couple of days before she died, and would separate herself from the others. She wasn't eggbound; Her vent was clear.

Have you ever wormed your birds? What do they eat?

 

[Susan Skylark]

You need to differentiate between infertility and embryonic death. Eggs that don’t develop are infertile. Eggs that begin to develop and die is embryonic death. The bulls eye is suggestive but not a guarantee of fertility. You need development in 3-5 day old incubated eggs to confirm fertility. Significant Death at that stage can be genetic, nutritional, wonky incubator temp, turning issues or issues with egg conditions preincubation (heat, cold, 10 days old, shipping). Infertility can be genetic, nutritional, hormonal, behavioral (rejects male), or physical (issues with repro tract or that physically effect mating and laying).