Soft Shell Eggs

[pebojuno]

Hi all, We are having quite a lot of soft shelled eggs from our orpingtons. We have a few breeding groups, all fed the same, all have access to grit and oyster shell and are generally spoilt rotten!

Only the orpingtons are laying thin shelled eggs (and of course stomping all over them and breaking them!) They aren't stressed out so it's not that so is there anything else which could be causing this?

Nicky

 

[Davidd]

Hi Nicky, how old are they? you could try a bit of limestone flour in their feed- as long as they have access to grit they should improve if only young birds- you can also bake egg shells in the oven and crush those up for them- make sure you crush them up small enough so they dont recognise them as eggs don't want to add egg eating to your flock :shock:
regards, David

 

[pebojuno]

Thanks for you reply David! Two of the hens are 43 weeks old and the younger one is around 28 weeks - and most of the eggs we get (and there aren't many!) are soft.

I find it odd how they are the only ones who are laying soft shelled eggs when all of my flocks have the same treatment! There are only the 4 birds in a 35m2 pen so it has lots of vegetation, a few trees and lots of stones etc to peck around in so they have lots to keep them occupied and they seem happy enough. Will try the eggshell idea- I had been using them to keep the slugs off the lettuces :lol:

 

[Castle Farm]

They are short of Vitamin D. Give them some cod liver oil.

 

[Davidd]

Hello, they should be making plenty of Vitamin D in this weather as long as they have access to the sun light
Regards, David