You can lead a hen to oyster shell...

[Poddington Pea]

....but you can't make it eat!

Hello all,
My hens have access to an oyster shell/grit mix at all times and are fed layer's pellets as well as being able to free-range all day.
However, one is laying shell-less eggs! What more can I do to help? Is there some other way of getting calcium into her?
X

[Nicos]

Try grinding it up into a powder and mixing it in the feed.

there are quite a few threads on this if you run through the search facility at the top of the page

This one is esp good ..

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ice_38276.html

I feed sesame seeds, broccoli, apricots and a glug of cod liver oil if I get thin shells ( also add ground eggshell to some porridge)

[RichmondHens]

If she is continually doing it and never lays a normal egg then she may have a problem with her calcium uptake which is not necessarily curable by diet. The hens sound like they are having a good diet and you would be seeing soft shells from the others if the calcium was insufficient. Consult your vet if the problem continues.

[perkin]

I've got one of those - of my 3 ex-batts, 2 lay very good eggs, but the other lays a proper shelled egg only once or twice a week. The rest of the time it's a papery thin membrane of a shell which splits on laying or as soon as she treads on it while exiting the nest box.
They have their own eggshells baked and crushed up in their layers feed and a tray of oystershell always available in the run. They get mixed corn each afternoon and other treats such as mealworms, tuscany kale, broccoli leaves and stale bread occasionally and whatever they find free-ranging around the garden. She seems pretty healthy/happy otherwise.