Thin shell and rubber shelled eggs

[Ajoy1955]

Long-term, you might also consider what their vitamin D levels are.
Vit D is very involved in the way Calcium is used in the body.

We had one member in Colorado who, despite flock access to sunny days, had an egg shell issue that they traced back to vit D.

It's possible therefore, that a flock closer to the equator could still have issues if they don't get enough hours of sunlight. And even when it's very hot in summer, the birds may need to avoid the sun for their temp regulation and not get enough.

I personally fall into that last category, avoiding the sun and doing chores at dusk and after dark, because of my pale skin that burns so easy... despite living in FL, my doc consistently finds me D deficient unless I take my supplement.

How do I increase their vitamin D?

 

[paradisepentacoop]

Two cents, though I only know human nutrition well-ish. Mushrooms! Or based on some quick googling, adding some Cod liver oil to their food.

Poultry DVM
This site recommends 2 TBSP per 5lbs of chicken.

Usually, as with the anecdote from @SourRoses suggests, sunlight is the best method but also really hard when its aggressively hot.
I kinda get around this by having most of my run under UV resistant roofing that still lets light in, but having the sides and center top open for direct sun. I also feed the good stuff (mealworms, kitchen scraps) in the open area, encouraging the chickens to at least spend 3 minutes in the sun in the morning.

Hope you figure out the perfect balance for you and your flock!

 

[SourRoses]

How do I increase their vitamin D?

Vitamin D supplement is available in tablet form for humans inexpensively. Simply crush it into powder and add a bit to dampened feed, or a carrier treat, like scrambled egg, a few days a week

In order for sunlight alone to work, they need direct exposure:

Vitamin D is made when UV (more precisely, UVB rays) react with a compound (7-dehydrocholesterol) in the skin. The best rays for UV synthesis have wavelengths between 270-300 nm. These wavelengths are present when the UV index is greater than 3.

 

[Ajoy1955]

Vitamin D supplement is available in tablet form for humans inexpensively. Simply crush it into powder and add a bit to dampened feed, or a carrier treat, like scrambled egg, a few days a week

In order for sunlight alone to work, they need direct exposure:

Is D3 the same? And I have it in liquid capsules, if I can give that to them it will be super easy!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hm! It's not unusual for me to find 3 or 4 rubber or jelly eggs in the poop trays when I go out to clean in the morning. Not knowing who's laying them of my 20 hens, I have not been able to come up with a good plan for treating. OS is available 24/7. Perhaps the problem here is Vit. D. Hmmm. Now the problem is, how to make sure all the chickens get a proper dose.

 

[SourRoses]

Is D3 the same? And I have it in liquid capsules, if I can give that to them it will be super easy!

Yes, D3 is good. It can be hard to get an oil into them with anything involving water, but egg works good for it

 

[Ajoy1955]

Yes, D3 is good. It can be hard to get an oil into them with anything involving water, but egg works good for it

I can open the capsule and pour onto their daily fermented afternoon treat, I am trying to figure out how much to add to it

 

[Logar]

Long-term, you might also consider what their vitamin D levels are.
Vit D is very involved in the way Calcium is used in the body.

We had one member in Colorado who, despite flock access to sunny days, had an egg shell issue that they traced back to vit D.

It's possible therefore, that a flock closer to the equator could still have issues if they don't get enough hours of sunlight. And even when it's very hot in summer, the birds may need to avoid the sun for their temp regulation and not get enough.

I personally fall into that last category, avoiding the sun and doing chores at dusk and after dark, because of my pale skin that burns so easy... despite living in FL, my doc consistently finds me D deficient unless I take my supplement.

So do you consider yourself crepuscular?

 

[SourRoses]

So do you consider yourself crepuscular?

In summer in Florida, absolutely! lol
In winter not so much.