PixieDust Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Over the last week I have had about half a dozen softies or eggs with such thin shells they break on the droppings tray. This morning OH goes out and again one egg and another broken. I actually do not know who is laying but seeing as I have a Columbine and she should lay blue or green, I don't think it is her. We had a couple of days with one egg and 2 softies too. They have plenty of oyster shell, not getting too many treats and no thunderstorms here. Between Sunday and Xmas Eve (5 days), we got 6 eggs. In 3 days we have 2. I know pullets coming into lay can lay odd eggs but it's getting rather consistent. Any advice please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 I'd get a bottle of life guard tonic and put them on that for a few days I've been getting a few softies and a few poor quality egg shells this last week but I've run out of life guard so I gave them a few meal worms in with their pellets it worked for a few days but I found the remnants of a softie yesterday plus a poor shelled egg again I think I now who is laying the poor shells but not the softies but I think it's the same girl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 You can give them too much calcium PixieDust. It upsets the calcium/phosphorus balance and thin egg shells result. Try cutting out the Oyster shell grit and giving them flint and insoluble limestone instead. There is enough calcium in layers pellets already. Nettex mineral powder contains extra phosphorous with extra calcium if that is felt necessary. But if they aren't getting enough sunlight which produces vitamin D, the element in the transfer mechanism that takes calcium from store in the bones and puts it onto the shells, they will not be able to produce thick egg shells. A little cod liver oil may help in that respect. As you say pullets can be a bit erratic anyway. They are still growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixieDust Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 Ok thank you. I will keep an eye on things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 the main cause of softies more often than not is an amino acid deficiency with makes it hard for the body to convert the calcium from the feed or grit into a form that the body and use that's were cod liver oil or better still meal worms are a real help as they contain more of the amino acid than CLO this time of year through the results can be sorter lived than spring - autum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
