Thin/soft shelled egg

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Yesterday,when I collected my eggs one was broken in the nest box.Thought that the hen had broken the egg standing on it,so added oyster shell to the food(it is readily available mixed with flint grit in a separate feeder/pot) as well.Today,when I collected the eggs there was a soft/thin shelled egg again.It had a thin shell from the point upwards,becoming soft at the end where the air bubble inside is.Picking it up caused it to crack at the rounded end.
I cooked some egg shells today,to crush and add to the food tomorrow,and want to add some cod liver oil for vit D as well.How much cod liver oil should i add?
This is one of my ex-batts.I am feeding them on ex-batt food (crumb) manufactured by Allen and Paige,they are having a small amount of corn every afternoon and grapes/cherry toms daily as a treat.
Once or twice a week i am giving them live mealworms and earthworms.
 
Hi Lydia,

Sounds like you're doing the right things - just providing a grit hopper and free range is good - there's not usually any need to add grit to the food - they will probably just leave it.

Cod liver oil can be given mixed in with the food as you suggest - I would put a few teaspoons in for a half dozen hens but it's like garlic or other natural remedies - you make your own measures up really.

With ex-bats, sadly you will get poor egg quality as they age. Frankly, they are laying machines and have been pushed so hard to lay as much as possible in the shortest amount of time, they are worn out.

Most ex-bats are 12 to 18 months old - usually after another year you will see thin egg shells and more watery whites.

Tim
 
It is a shame that they get worn out,as well as being a short lived bird.I think the majority of ppl who realise the lives that battery hens live would like it changed.I'll just do my best for her and see what happens regarding her eggs.Luckily,i didn't get them for their eggs,but,for the companionship and pleasure they would bring me.
As long as i'm doing what is best for them/her,it wont harm the other girls getting extra calcium will it?
I always thought calcium was something you could overdose on,i don't want to make them all have a problem of too much calcium,i thought of putting calci-vet in their water,and cod liver oil with their food twice a week.Will that be ok for all of them or should i feed/water her seperately from her flock.
I do appreciate the help and advice from more experienced ppl on here.
 
If you feed them crushed egg shells / oystershell grit (ie soluble grit containing calcium) in a separate container, they will take what they need and shouldn't overdo things. Layers feeds actually contain enough calcium these days so they probably won't fuss too much over the extra provided.

Yes, I read something once about overdoing things but can't remember much about it now :roll:

With drakes you can certainly provide them with too much calcium in layers feeds since they are not producing eggs - which is why you should always feed ducks wheat as well so the drakes can take what they need - But that's another story :lol:
 
I can't remember what too much calcium does to an animal,I should as I've sometimes increased calcium for mammals when they've had young and are still feeding off their mum.I might put some cuttlefish in their run,see if she will peck at that.she is still laying soft/thin shelled eggs,so is probably avoiding the extras I've put in the food(she couldn't avoid the cod liver oil though)bless,I get outwitted by my freeview box,t.v., dvd player and now a chook :o lol.
 
I gave up TV (well pretty much) to create the website a little under a year ago...the freeview box and DVD player are no longer a worry to me :D I don't really miss it and only watch something really worth watching now.

Remember soft shelled eggs can still be eaten - you just don't have the shelf life... Alternatively, the doggies will certainly enjoy an egg in with their food! Our dog has an egg or two with every meal and loves them.
 
I don't think you're missing much from the t.v. Tim ;) ,also,our appreciation of your efforts has to be worth it :mrgreen: .
I did get to use two of them :D ,but,despite encouraging her to eat extra calcium it has got worse.Now,instead of a thin shell,it's a membrane that is shell coloured.Once she's 'squished' it out,it's too 'squished' to use :o .
I'm using a calcium concentrate called Davinova C,which I got from the Domestic Fowl Trust in their water,poultry spice in their food with cod liver oil and also cooking,crushing and adding their shells to their food.I wouldn't want to lay an egg,but poor bird,laying a 'squishy' one must feel really strange.I'm also worried that a fresh squishy egg in the nest box will also attract rats/foxes.So I'm hoping it will stop soon.
Battery hens shouldn't be bred so they lay regardless,she needs a rest!!!!!
 
I'm not sure about her history - but she could be just at the end of her laying cycle - they do lay funny things like mini eggs and eggs without shells / without yolks at the beginning and end of their laying cycles sometimes.

If she's straight from the farm, she will be pretty messed up with the reduction in light and will stop laying / moult for a while before getting going again..
 
Thanks Tim,I'm assuming that is what is happening to her,they are all moulting and do look very patchy,new feather's are coming so hopefully she will have a rest soon.
This particular chicken is a bit different to the other's,the other 3 charge out their house every am full of beans.The 1(Cheepy) has a quick drink and is off foraging for grubs,the other 2 grab some food and a drink then go out foraging.Chicky sits at the top of the ramp and thinks.......she comes down,has something to eat and drink but basically spends most of her day in the run,peering through the wire.
The door is permanently open,they are all free to do what they wish.She isn't hunched up or miserable,eyes are bright and she's gained weight and comb colour.Today i put the food/water containers outside their run,this did make her spend more time in the garden,and,she did some foraging.Just not as animated as the others,if i give her a treat,one of the others always grabs it and runs off with it before she's even pecked at it.So,I bring her into the lounge,shut the others outside to offer her a grape or cherry tom.She doesn't get excited over them like the others do.I'll find something that she likes more,it will be trial and error.
 
Sounds like the poor thing just doesn't realise she's out of the cage. I hope she 'finds her feet' so to speak, let us know how you get on.
 
I hope she does,it's as if i've got a flock of 3 hens,and a singleton.Also,she hasn't had a dust bath yet,so I'm going to get some sand,have it in a box and pop her in to see if she realises she can dust bath.The other 3 never stop.
Maybe this one,Chicky, is actually close to the end of her life,she is sedate and thinks,which hopefully is her personality,i've just never seen or heard of a chook that is quite like this one,so maybe it is old age.Not in years/months but life and her biological clock.
 
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