My first soft shell

[Nicos]

Yup- suppose it had to happen sometime!

Pretty sure of the cause though- and thought I'd share my idea

We got some goslings 4 weeks go and we were told we could feed the chooks and goslings on finishers pellets.
I had my doubts and asked around ....and everyone nodded wisely

(OK- fine thought I - stop being paranoid- food is food - and over here a free ranging chook is lucky if it's got grass in it's run - and fed on more than stale bread and veg peelings)

My chooks still have porrige with spice, ground shell and garlic, and handfuls of oyster grit- but I still got this soft shelled egg

I really do feel that the type of the feed must have been the cause of the soft shell( bit like parchment)
So I'm off to get some cod liver oil and more layers pellets today.

Hmm- yup- I do feel guilty

( fingers crossed that I am right and there's not something else about to rear it's ugly head such as red mite/lice which I've not yet seen)

[RichmondHens]

If it is just a one-off it could be due to anything Nicos. She might have had a shock over something, or just reacting to weather fluctuations. Also is she an old bird? I get the occasional softie from a couple of my older large hens. Strangely, I have never had soft shells from any of my bantams, ever, that I can think of. In fact, their shells are so hard sometimes they are like bullets, and need an extra hard whack on the side of the mixing bowl to crack them!

It is probably better to feed the chooks layers pellet, especially if you want to maximise egg production. Finisher pellet is a balanced ration too though (although not designed for egg layers), so you won't have harmed the chooks by switching.

[Suechooks]

Don't feel guilty! Could be any reason or no reason at all! Must admit I do like to feel I'm giving them the "right" stuff but when they go and drink out of a filthy bucket of rainwater or puddle on the tarpaulin when I've just cleaned the drinker and carried tap water fom home and added ACV - well I do wonder why I bother!

[Nicos]

They're not old- not sure at the moment which of two has laid it- but it's either a one or two year old bantam.
Shock? well possibly- but it's the first time ever ....I need to put my Miss Marple hat on don't I??

[Hilary B]

The only thing likely to be lacking in finisher's is the soluble grit (laying hens need shell-forming stuff, finishers don't, other than that their needs are pretty similar).
Adding a bit extra oyster shell and codliver oil should work OK.
Young goslings should be on growers Ideally, but no need to be very fussy about it), if they are a bit older they are better on just loads of grass!

[CoraxAurata]

LOL do you remember when we had that plague of bugs for 3 or 4 days and all the chooks stuffed themselves silly? We had several soft shelled eggs just after that... someitme the overindugence can cause probs too!

Of interest, I learnt (sorry can't remember source) that all (normal) eggs have the same amount of shell as the eggs of their ancestors, but because we have bred them to lay bigger eggs the shells are now much thinner.....

[Nicos]

OK- thanks- It looks like that was a one off shell ( so far)

I've massively upped their calcium- and will get some Cod Liver Oil next week.

Ta !

( oh - and goslings are now 10 weeks old and have had their first plunge in a paddling pool/sand pit today...they utterly adored it! )

[roitelet]

Shouldn't worry Nicos, mine do it occasionally. I think they are just a but absent minded and forget to wrap the parcle properly once in a while.

[Nelly]

Double softies

I've been getting the occasional soft shells from one (I think) of my hens. They are sporadic, otherwise the shells are all perfectly strong and hard. Very occasionally there are two soft shells laid together, as if the fact that two eggs making their way down the tube caused extra-swift ejection and no time for the shells to form! The hens are free range and have plenty of grit and good quality layers' mash so I'm not sure why there is the occasional softy...

[Nicos]

Ah ..bliss...glad I'm not the only one!!

All back to normality again today!