Thin Shells

[TPeers]

One of my hens - the speckledy I think - has finally started to lay but the eggs are paper thin and have cracked by the time I find them.

Other than sprinkling a layer of calcium grit over her food (standard layers pellets - the ones with calcium in!) in an attempt to increase her calcium levels, is there anything I can do?

Thanks

Terry

[shirlthegirl43]

We used to put a dish of special grit which if I remember right had bits of seashells and stuff in it, in the run for them to pick at when they wanted to. Still got the odd frail shell so maybe it is more to do with starting up the laying process a the moment.

[TPeers]

They have a dish of mixed grit right next to the feed hopper, I just wondered if she was taking any?

Looks like I'll just have to wait and see,

thanks Shirley

Terry

[shirlthegirl43]

It is straining my brain to remember stuff about chickens as it is about 20 years now since we last had them - hoping to get some soon though so it is good to test the memory.

Hope it is just the egg-laying process getting geared up with your hen, as I recall, chickens don't suffer from many problems though.

[Birdie Wife]

One of my hens is doing the same, in fact the shells are so thin they are hardly there at all. I'm giving them treats every other day in the aftenoon of bread soaked in milk, which they love. Hope this sorts it out, they don't really like the layers pellets much so they eat about half the quota and then go for a ramble up the hill to see what else they can find!

[AWard]

Crushed oyster shells from any decent feed retailer. The eggshells are deficient in Calcium - grit will only be of benefit if it is limestone.

[yoanbob]

you usally get a few soft ones when they first start, if she needs anything in her diet she will take it if its there

[TPeers]

The problem seems to have sorted its self out now.

Quite apart from the layers pellet which contains oystershell grit and the bowl of mixed oystershell and sharp grit in the run I laced the pellets with a top dressing of canary grade oystershell (very fine).

Somewhere in that lot the problem was sorted! Not sure precisely which was the cure, probably a combination.

Thanks for all the advice!

[Paulottie]

You probably need a hammer to get into them now then

[TPeers]

... funny you should ask.....

[FEUTTY]

stronger eggs

Found shells alot stronger after I stopped treats. I feel bread fills them up to quickly not leaving room for pellets. They ate twice the amount of pellets after stopping bread.Only treat now are bits of greens. Hope this helps.

[TPeers]

I have limited Hazel to giving them no more than one little handful of corn a day, and on the days when I measure an exact amout and put the vermx on they do eat all the pellets.

That said, thanks, I will bear it in mind and check that they arn't getting too many treats during the day to put them off their proper diet!

It all boils down to kiddies and their diets, if not my human kids then my pets (and the cats certaintly behave like children!).