I came home after work and went straight in to the garden to see if the new chickens had put them self to bed. Unfortunately they have not got the hang of it, and again I found them underneath the coop. I picked them up and put them on the floor of the coop. On previous days I tried to put them on the coop, but I always find them on the floor shortly afterwards. So to save any extra agro from the Appenzellers I put them on the bedding instead.
I checked the nesting box for eggs, but found nothing, which was strange as we have had at least one a day for a while now, and 2 yesterday. As I turned round to leave the enclosure, my torch shone on an egg on the floor. It was on a patch of earth that had no snow on it, so it mush have been fresh. I bent down to look at it, it was a very sad looking egg. Normal size but with a tissue paper thin shell, the egg had splurged out of the side. I gave it a poke, it was so soft! From the very 1st egg we have had (started laying on Boxing day 2012) we have never had a very thin egg shell.
I’ve just started researching what might cause a hen to lay thin-shelled eggs. Here are some possibilities:
- Calcium deficiency is one of the most common problems
- The first pullet egg may be soft-shelled until her system gets into its stride
- A shock can also make a chicken lay a soft-shelled egg, things like introducing new chickens, or a change in the weather, extreme cold, snow, heavy down pour etc
- If it is a reoccurring problem, Veterinary advice should be sought, the chicken may have a defective shell gland. Apparently the only option is to cull the bird from the flock.
- Lack of vitamin D3. This is probably least likely. Chickens will only become deficient in vitamin D if they are not exposed to greenery and sunlight.
- Egg drop syndrome (EDS) is a viral infection. Chickens infected don’t appear sick, but they will lay fewer eggs, many of which are thin-shelled (and often paler in shell color.)
- Chickens that are coming into moult or are moulting will sometimes lay soft eggs
Some solutions for paper thin egg laying chickens:
- Give your chickens spinach and cabbage when their egg quality drops
- Supply your chickens with Oyster grit as a calcium supplement
- Try and make sure the place your chickens lay is stress free
- Eggshells can be baked in the oven fr 10 mins, cooled, crushed and mixed with the food. So they are recycling their own calcium!
If you have any other ideas or suggestions please let me know
Good reference sites for common eggs shell problems:
http://www.alltech.com/sites/default/files/alltech-egg-shell-quality-poster.pdf
http://www.blpbooks.co.uk/articles/egg_problems/egg_problems.php
http://poultry.allotment.org.uk/advice/eggs/problems
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx#eggshell_quality
Keeping Chickens at home blog, how to keep chickens, chicken facts, back garden flock of chickens, Cheshire, UK 