Solitary chicken - need advice

[Frankie Dicken]

For two weeks one of my hens has been laying soft shell and sometimes there is nothing but a yolk in a sac. I started giving them baked crushed eggshells as they didn't seem to eat the oyster shell in the past. For a week I have also been giving them natural yogurt. However, she now has started to have very runny droppings with pieces of the crushed shell them. She looks well, has a red comb, etc and running about all over the place. I cut out treats but they are free range and have access to lots of slugs, I eats et.

 

Help! I'm really worried now... !

 

Frankie

[gavclojak]

hi there, have you tried mixing the very fine oyster shell with the feed? I assume they have not been stressed? maybe try the shell and some poultry apple cider vinegar also are they wormed regularly? another cause can be the moult so are there any signs of that? so many questions

[Dolly]

I use Zolcal D in their water when soft eggs are a problem, its a liquid calcium supplement you can get online but you shouldn't use it too often as too much calcium is as bad as too little I understand

[Julia_K]

Hi there

 

Sorry to hear it's not going to plan. I had exactly the same with one of my hybrids and, having ruled everything else out, she has a wonky egg shell gland and now just provides me with with shell-less eggs to clear up most mornings before the others get to them, sometimes accompanied by her version of a shell. However, when I was trying to resolve it with crushed baked egg shells I was advised to feed cod liver oil at the same time as the vitamin in that is needed to get the calcium absorbed into her body. Have you tried that?

 

I also tried the usual egg shell improver powder and liquid calcium supplement readily available from poultry product suppliers.

 

I also got the young lady checked for worms in case she had picked up something that was affecting shell quality.

 

Wishing you well with narrowing it down.