question on eggs

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I have a hen that started laying about a month ago. Not very often she will give me a egg with a shell on it. It is a egg with the membrane and no shell. Is there a way to stop this.

 

[MaggieJ]

Sounds like she needs more calcium. Try feeding crushed eggshells back to her or get her some oyster shell from the feed store.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

really ,she just started not that long ago.

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

Is she old? We have a 6 year old hen here that will do that quite a bit and she has free choice oystershell as well as chrushed egg shell.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

No,,, Just started a month ago. Meaning she is now 30 weeks old.

 

[MaggieJ]

Bunnyloft, I agree with you. If the hen is old, then you may start to see things that are not quite right with the eggs. Could be that the old hen simply doesn't eat the oyster shell or it could be she is having trouble absorbing it. But if Mary Ann's hen just started laying a month or so ago, age is not likely the problem.

Another possibility is that she is just easing into egg production. You do get some odd eggs in the early stages from some hens. I've had tiny eggs with no yolk, bumpy-shelled eggs etc. It could be the situation will correct itself over time.

It takes a lot of calcium to make an eggshell. If the hen's supply is depleted and she does not get enough from her diet, then she will begin to lay thin-shelled or rubber eggs. If it happens just once or twice, it could simply be that the egg moved through the shell-making stage too quickly, but if it is a fairly frequent thing then I would certainly make the oyster shell available.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Thanks Maggie. I will not give oyster shells at this age as it will bind up the other as the shells get really hard to crack. There is enough in there feed for that. I think she is still moving into the egg production. I guess. But being a month into it i didnt think this was still be a problem...Just 3 times this week alone. Makes me wonder what is going on with her. The yellow is fine and whites are too and the membrane around all of that is fine too. Just no shell. She is doing to often for my liking. The others now and then give me double yolkers. I love those. But i think you are right about easing into production. I hope that is what it is. T

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

I love my birds, chickens and ducks but they are failing in the egg laying department at the moment. I need to get another dozen laying hens that are laying age now. Time to search craigslist.

I hope it gets better and she remembers to wrap her eggs from now on before leaving them for you.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

remembers to wrap her eggs from now on

Now that is a cute saying. Another way of putting it. lol

 

[Rustina]

Giving your hens oyster shells should not make the eggs of the other chickens harder to crack. Most of the time if a chicken gets too much calcium they pass it in urate part of their droppings. Even of the oyster shell does improve the quality of your hens egg shells I can't belive it will thicken them so much that you couldn't open them. Depending on what type of food you feed, she might not be getting enough calcium, or it could just be her.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Sometimes young hens lay eggs with no shells- it is like they forgot the last step in making the egg. This is a good link discussing other possibilities:

http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-ch ... g-H85.aspx

Egg-Drop Syndrome is an adenovirus commonly carried by ducks and geese, so is a possibility since you have ducks:

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets ... ndrome.pdf

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Giving your hens oyster shells should not make the eggs of the other chickens harder to crack

I have had chickens for many years. And yes, It is harder to crack the eggs if only they are young birds. Older birds no.

__________ Wed Oct 03, 2012 6:19 pm __________

I can't belive it will thicken them so much that you couldn't open them.

THAT WASNT SAID....Not sure where you got that from<br /><br />__________ Wed Oct 03, 2012 6:23 pm __________<br /><br />Thanks sheepdog.From that link i think i found my problem. this is a copy and paste.

Another possibility has to do with the salt in their diet. Too much salinity can cause shell-less or thin-shelled eggs. So, sometimes if they are drinking water that is highly softened, it can contain a problem amount of salts for them.

BINGO..... I have soft water... this is why i am having this problem...

 

[Rustina]

Mary Ann, I know you didn't say that you couldn't open them. I guess I was thinking out loud as to why it would be preferable to have no shell eggs over ones that had a lil thicker shell. No reason for hostility......

I also have soft water, my hens don't lay "rubber eggs".....but that may indeed be it....

__________ Thu Oct 04, 2012 8:29 am __________

I have had chickens for many years.

I'm not sure why that is relevent. But good for you, so have I , so have many people on this site. The fact that we are on a forum to gleen information implys that we all learn new things about our interests everyday.

Rustina wrote:
Giving your hens oyster shells should not make the eggs of the other chickens harder to crack

I have had chickens for many years. And yes, It is harder to crack the eggs if only they are young birds. Older birds no.

you might notice my quote said giving the shells to the hens should not affect the OTHER chicks and you , in fact said older birds no. i was talking about the older birds.


If i am wrong thats fine, but please read the sentance b4 you become annoyed with me.

thanks

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

If i am wrong thats fine, but please read the sentance b4 you become annoyed with me

I have thank you... You have to do the same before responding.