Soft eggs

[Bonnieboo]

Some months ago my Australorp/RIR cross started laying soft eggs. I was advised to give some calcium tablets for 10 days and it fixed the problem.
Now it's happening again. I gave her calcium for about 7 days and she laid hard eggs but with very thin shells. She then laid a couple of soft eggs again. I've started giving her a calcium tablet every second day to see if this works. I give my hens yoghurt, cheese and milk with cooked oats and all the other hens have beautiful, hard shelled eggs. I don't think she is not getting enough calcium, I think something else must be going on with her she'll gland. She is about 4 years old now so doesn't lay every day anymore. I need some advice.

 

[Slava]

Hi my black copper maran start laying regular brown eggs and use to be dark chocolate eggs
But still laying around 4 eggs a week during the winter
It just time of the years or I need some special vitamins
Thanks Slava

 

[Ecarroll]

Some months ago my Australorp/RIR cross started laying soft eggs. I was advised to give some calcium tablets for 10 days and it fixed the problem.
Now it's happening again. I gave her calcium for about 7 days and she laid hard eggs but with very thin shells. She then laid a couple of soft eggs again. I've started giving her a calcium tablet every second day to see if this works. I give my hens yoghurt, cheese and milk with cooked oats and all the other hens have beautiful, hard shelled eggs. I don't think she is not getting enough calcium, I think something else must be going on with her she'll gland. She is about 4 years old now so doesn't lay every day anymore. I need some advice.

What feed do you give them? Do you provide oyster shell on the side? Calcium tablets for a little bit will fix temporarily, but you need a supply of calcium regularly. Do you have any nonlaying pullets, roosters or older nonlaying hens?

 

[nuthatched]

Some birds just have issues laying proper shells.

 

[aart]

all the other hens have beautiful, hard shelled eggs. I don't think she is not getting enough calcium, I think something else must be going on with her she'll gland. She is about 4 years old now so doesn't lay every day anymore. I need some advice.

You are correct, she has a faulty shell gland.
Doubt you can 'fix' it.
What breed is she?

 

[Bonnieboo]

What feed do you give them? Do you provide oyster shell on the side? Calcium tablets for a little bit will fix temporarily, but you need a supply of calcium regularly. Do you have any nonlaying pullets, roosters or older nonlaying hens?

I give them premium feed from the supply store. They have yoghurt every week, shell grit in their scratch mix every day. I used to leave a bowl of shell grit, but they never touched it. I give them some grated cheese regularly and all the other girls (I have 4 laying hens) shells are really hard.

What feed do you give them? Do you provide oyster shell on the side? Calcium tablets for a little bit will fix temporarily, but you need a supply of calcium regularly. Do you have any nonlaying pullets, roosters or older nonlaying hens?

You are correct, she has a faulty shell gland.
Doubt you can 'fix' it.
What breed is she?

Thanks for your advice. When I'm giving her calcium every day, she lays good eggs but the shells have always been thin. Should I just keep giving her calcium or will long-term use be harmful?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks for your advice. When I'm giving her calcium every day, she lays good eggs but the shells have always been thin. Should I just keep giving her calcium or will long-term use be harmful?

Probably not great long term but the tradeoff is straining to lay soft eggs or having eggs break inside is also bad for her, so if calcium helps harden the shells enough for her to safely pass them, I'd opt for that.

To lessen any negative cumulative effects you can also try 1 pill every other day, and see if that still yield a solid (if thin) shell. Or if that's not enough, then 2 pills every 3 days, etc. The idea is to find the minimum dosage needed for her to still produce eggs with a shell.

Obviously when she's not laying, stop calcium completely until she starts up again.

 

[BDutch]

Rosemary gives good advice.
But maybe there is another way to go. I know from a few people who went to a vet, and their chickens got a hormone implant to stop the hen to lay eggs.

Soft shell eggs can go wrong and are a risk for internal infection. A few years ago I had a chicken die from it. You might consider an implant if you don’t mind the expenses and want to keep her for company.

 

[Ecarroll]

I give them premium feed from the supply store. They have yoghurt every week, shell grit in their scratch mix every day. I used to leave a bowl of shell grit, but they never touched it. I give them some grated cheese regularly and all the other girls (I have 4 laying hens) shells are really hard.

What do you mean by premium feed? My question I meant is it layer feed, chick feed, all flock, etc? If you have no one that is not laying (old birds, young birds, roosters) than you can get away with a layer feed. you should also still provide oyster shell on the side, even if it seems they are not touching it, they pick away at it, and slowly not very motiveless, plus only when they need it (like now). In way of cheese and yoghurt, those will not help very much with calcium, plus chickens are technically lactose intolerant, but the good properties of yoghurt balance that out, so is fine every once in a while. Good luck with your hen!