4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Sammy]

Hi All

 

For the last 2 mornings when I open up the house there is an egg at the door on the hen house floor.

 

To me it looks like it has the membrane, is fully formed but doesn't have the outer shell. Is this classed as a "softie" or is a softie a soft shell?

 

I have another thread running where one of my girls Midnight hasn't been well yesterday and doesn't look so well today and I still don't know if these are from her or my Horlicks who is yet to start laying so not sure if these are "practice" eggs.

 

What constitutes a softie?

 

The 2 eggs I found definitely only have the membrane and they don't look like they have been pecked or eaten as at first I thought one or more of them might be eating the shell but they are still too well formed to have been touched by any of them.

 

All my girls have regular access to grit/oyster shell, tonics in their water and poultry spice in their food.

 

I haven't been able to find limestone flour anywhere as yet, so is there an alternative?

 

Could this be Horlicks practice eggs or explains why Midnight is not well and what should I do about it?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Yes, that's a softie .

 

I get my limestone flour from Ebay (sold for tortoises). I think some pet shops sell it too.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Horse supply shops sell it too.

 

If they are just starting to lay it should right itself as their laying tackle gets into the swing of things. And yes if they are "brewing" a softie they do look very unhappy sometimes........hunched up & not their usually dappy scratchy selves. Usually once they've laid the softie they perk up again quite quickly...........if they lay it out in the open, the other girls will demolish it before you get to it, sometimes mine have been known to follow the softie layer & snaffle the egg before it's even landed on the ground

 

Sha x

[Sammy]

I just called my local Scats and they sell it but the feeding instructions relate only to horses.

 

How much do I give my girls and for long?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Mine have it all the time as I've got batties and a hybrids who throw out softies intermittently...I just throw a couple of scoops in with the bucket (used to have fat balls in for the wild birds to give you an idea of the size) of pellets and now a slug of cod liver oil as that helps the hens absorb the calcium, along with the bokashi and garlic powder to reduce the smell of the poos Then give it all a good shake about & serve

 

All highly technical you see

 

Sha x

[Egluntyne]

Definitely a softie and most likely the cause of Midnight's problems. Limestone flour or a soluble calcium supplement such as Zolcal D will help.

[chick wiggle]

Im getting softies fairly regularly, I've narrowed it down to 2 or 3 of my girls. If i put limestone flour in the food its fine for the rest of them isnt it? Is it a couple of scoops to around 2kg of food, approx?