Soft eggs

[Tookie]

It's been a week and still no improvement, she's still dropping a soft egg from her perch every night

You're using the calcium carbonate right?

 

[ChickenTenderz]

You're using the calcium carbonate right?

Yes,
Calcium Carbonate plus vitamin D3 600mg plus I give them crushed eggshells.

It worked several weeks ago but the soft eggs returned when I stopped. She knows her eggs aren't right and sleeps on a lower perch away from her sisters...except tonight, I noticed Cinnamon had decided to sit next to her when I went to close their coop for the night.

 

[Tookie]

Yes,
Calcium Carbonate plus vitamin D3 600mg plus I give them crushed eggshells.

It worked several weeks ago but the soft eggs returned when I stopped. She knows her eggs aren't right and sleeps on a lower perch away from her sisters...except tonight, I noticed Cinnamon had decided to sit next to her when I went to close their coop for the night.

I'd get the calcium citrate with D3 in it with at least 500mg calcium and try that.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

I'd get the calcium citrate with D3 in it with at least 500mg calcium and try that.

The only calcium supplement available at my local store with D3 is calcium carbonate. I understand that calcium citrate is supposed to be easier for humans to absorb but I had read somewhere that it's more the D3 that helps with absorption than the form of calcium.

 

[nuthatched]

Sometimes birds have a faulty shell gland, she might not lay normal eggs

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes,
Calcium Carbonate plus vitamin D3 600mg plus I give them crushed eggshells.

It worked several weeks ago but the soft eggs returned when I stopped.

You might need to keep her on a calcium regimen during the laying season. If continued calcium supplements don't lessen or eliminate the issue, then you're looking at a shelling gland problem.

 

[ChickenTenderz]

Ok, it's been 2 weeks of giving Becky calcium tablets. She finally laid an egg in the nesting box! BUT it's shell was so thin that the other girls accidentally crushed it when they went to lay their own eggs. I'll keep giving her the calcium. But may have a few days I can't because I have an out of town trip coming up and I'm not going to ask anyone else to chase a chicken & give her a pill

 

[ChickenTenderz]

I realized I've been doing something different with Becky the last few days...instead of just giving her the calcium tablets. I've been giving her the tablet and then a few pieces of grape. So she's been taking her tablet with food and that's when we finally saw a change. Hopefully she continues to improve and the shell doesn't get crushed today.

 

[Tookie]

I realized I've been doing something different with Becky the last few days...instead of just giving her the calcium tablets. I've been giving her the tablet and then a few pieces of grape. So she's been taking her tablet with food and that's when we finally saw a change. Hopefully she continues to improve and the shell doesn't get crushed today.

Hopefully her eggs improve even more!

 

[ChickenTenderz]

Becky had gone back to dropping her egg from the perch until about 4 days ago. She didn't drop one for 2 nights and then she laid an egg in the nesting box two days in a row! But they are getting trampled by the other hens. It's an improvement after 3 weeks of supplemental calcium. She knows the routine now when I walk down with her pill, she's resigned to taking it without too much fuss.
I still provide egg shells free choice for all. I've never bought the oyster shells because my parents' chickens never cared for them so I figured the eggshells was a good source of calcium.