What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

One of my chickens started molting last night, lots of feathers scattered around and she's looking scraggly. I gave them all some cooked pork today for extra protein.

I hope their egg quality improves soon. One or more of them keeps laying thin shell brittle eggs, which get eaten in the nest box after they break. At least they're not going to waste. They don't bother with the solid shell eggs at all, so it's ok with me that they eat the bad ones.

I've only had brittle (or even shell-less) eggs when my girls have gotten towards the end of their laying life - and then only with my hybrid, ex-battery girls. I increased their calcium intake by adding a powder or liquid calcium supplement to their food or water and increased dark, leafy greens. I also fed back ground eggshells and a can of salmon or sardines with bones. Made sure i never fed spinach or other plants high in oxalates (eg sorrel) to the affected ladies as the oxalic acid strips calcium. It helped in the short term but obviously being at the end of their laying careers, it won't help for ever. A younger bird experiencing a deficiency may respond better long term.

Mine have never eaten eggs in the nest box, thin-shelled or otherwise, but any dropped on the floor are fair game. I'm also comfortable with that. I'd rather the girls got the benefit than the egg go to waste.

 

[Shetland lover]

I put my new hatched chick downstairs with the 3-day-olds.

I looked over all my show birds.

I cleaned up a cache from snowball.

I checked on snowballs body, it has not been eaten yet.

I put a broody wyandotte in a cage.

I filled the water bucket.

I filled the silkies water.

I gave everyone scratch.

I got all eggs.

Welcome!
Sounds like a day well spent!
Which birds do you show?

 

[Noraaaaa]

Welcome!
Sounds like a day well spent!
Which birds do you show?

I do black bearded silkies and golden laced Wyandotte bantams

 

[Noraaaaa]

Welcome!
Sounds like a day well spent!
Which birds do you show?

I noticed your name was Shetland lover! Do you ride horses?

 

[Smokerbill]

I've only had brittle (or even shell-less) eggs when my girls have gotten towards the end of their laying life - and then only with my hybrid, ex-battery girls. I increased their calcium intake by adding a powder or liquid calcium supplement to their food or water and increased dark, leafy greens. I also fed back ground eggshells and a can of salmon or sardines with bones. Made sure i never fed spinach or other plants high in oxalates (eg sorrel) to the affected ladies as the oxalic acid strips calcium. It helped in the short term but obviously being at the end of their laying careers, it won't help for ever. A younger bird experiencing a deficiency may respond better long term.

Mine have never eaten eggs in the nest box, thin-shelled or otherwise, but any dropped on the floor are fair game. I'm also comfortable with that. I'd rather the girls got the benefit than the egg go to waste.

My hens will turn 2 years old in a week so they shouldn't be at the end of their laying life. I've forced them to eat extra calcium a couple times (powdered eggshells/oyster shell mixed in wetted feed) and that seems to help shell hardness, but with some of my hens going through soft molts (first molts for all of them) all winter I've been hesitant about giving all of them extra calcium above what's in their feed. I have no idea which are laying brittle eggs so dosing individual birds is impossible.

I'll accept the situation in hopes that when all five have nice new feathers the overall egg quality will improve.